


How (bitter)sweet it is to be loved by you

by WomensFootballFanLOver



Category: Hardersson - Fandom, Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Denmark - Freeform, Denmark National Team, F/F, Football, Football | Soccer, Love, SWEWNT, Sweden - Freeform, Team Sweden, pro soccer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2020-09-24 16:34:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 61,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20361643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WomensFootballFanLOver/pseuds/WomensFootballFanLOver
Summary: My take on what might have happen when going from being together 24/7 to NOT see each other more than maybe once a month.





	1. Don't ever let go of me

**September 7th 2016**

”Is there something wrong?”

”No.”

The answer that was delivered from Magdalena Eriksson came quickly and abruptly and it left Pernille Harder even more confused than before she’d put the question out. The Dane shook her head like she was trying to clear her messy mind up but of course it didn’t help her one bit. She couldn’t understand what had gotten Magda from being her usually happy and loving self to the obvious opposite, current state of mind.

”Okay Pernille” the Dane told herself in silence. ”What did you do?”

She debated intensely with herself trying to figure out what had gotten her girlfriend so cold and short in temper all of a sudden.

”Let’s see, we woke up this morning, normal cuddling and morning tenderness in bed…” Despite the alarm that had set off early due to a flight that had to be caught which would take them and the rest of the team in Linkoping FC to their game in Umeå in the north of Sweden this Wednesday in the early days of September. As always they had managed to lost the track of time which always happened when they were in bed together with not so much clothes on.And of course that had ended with stress and no breakfast. Luckily for them it had been served both coffee and sandwiches on the team bus up to Arlanda, Stockholm Airport, so no harm done there. Pernille continued her mental time warp, desperate to figure this whole thing out without putting herself in even more trouble with an already grumpy Magda.No, no, no. During these past two years of relationship with the fiery defender, she had learned the hard way that when the Swede was on the war path, it was definitely no use in trying to soothe things before Magda had calmed down. But although Magda always had temper, _this _sort of behavior wasn’t like the Swede at all and Pernille couldn’t even remember seeing her like this ever before. 

After drinking coffee and eating sandwiches on the bus, Pernilles phone had rang, the caller being her agent, Klaus Granlund, and they had talked for the rest of the bus ride. It was when they had gone off the bus at the airport Pernille started to sense the slight cold from Magda. The Dane had exchanged looks with team mates Fridolina Rolfö and Stina Blackstenius already, obviously they had also picked up the signals from Magda.

”Are you two fighting or something?” Fridolina asked in a low voice after making sure of that no one of their other team mates could hear.

Magda had been quick to accompany her closest colleague in Linkopings back line, Janni Arnth, who also happened to be Magdas room mate during game travels, and they were already ahead of the rest, heading towards the check-in-desk.

Pernille let out a sigh before she answered and saw that Fridolina had raised her eyebrows looking quite confused.

”You tell me. I don’t know.”

”You don’t know if you two have had a fight?”

Fridolina looked even more confused now.

”I don’t get it.”

”That makes two of us” Pernille said and shrugged. ”Everything was fine this morning, I’m mean like _really_ fine and then…BOOM.”

”Okay, I don’t intend to ask what _really_ fine means, cause I know it includes something dirty…but have you asked her?”

Now it was Pernilles turn to raise her eyebrows towards Fridolina.

”Of course I have asked her. And surprise, surprise, the answer is: NO. There is nothing wrong according to Magda. If I ask her again she’s going to explode on me for real. But, on the other hand, it might be better if she does so this silent punishment of whatever I’ve done wrong or is doing wrong, just stops.”

”Ooooh. She’s doing the girly thing.”

”What do you mean by that?” Pernille asked looking all confused again.

”She’s being cold and grumpy, letting you know that something is very wrong, but at the same time she has absolutely no intentions to actually tell you what’s wrong. She wants you to figure it all out yourself, cause to her it’s very obvious what you have done, and then she wants you to apologize.”

”You’re not helping me out here Frido.” the Dane sighed. And I can’t think about this now. We have an important game coming up this evening and we’ve never let any private things between us, affect football before. I just don’t like the fact that both you and Stina, and probably the rest of team as well, noticed. She’s being totally irrational about whatever it is she’s being grumpy about and that’s it.”

Fridolina laughed out loud after hearing Pernilles determent speech.

”You’re right. But I’m sure that we all are adult enough to handle a small girlfriend to girlfriend-fuss. I mean, come on, it’s been two years, sometime must be the first.”

The two friends accompanied each other in a simultaneous giggle and hurried to catch up with the rest.

________________________________________________________________________

Linkoping FC had shocked the entire football society this season. By now they hadn’t lost one game and they didn’t just scored a lot of goals; they also played a magical kind of football that was a delight to the eye for every football lover out there to watch. By now, after playing together for almost four years, this team had developed in to something no one could have imagined. And Linkopings two stars and top scorer, Pernille Harder and Stina Backstenius, were on everyone’s watch. That included the biggest footballs clubs in Europe.

It was two months left of the season 2016 and Pernille really loved playing football right now. Not that she hadn’t been loving it before but now, oh now it was pure pleasure and she could feel that her biggest dreams were definitely in reach. On top of that she was _super_ in love with Magdalena Eriksson and what the Swedish defender didn’t seem to get, was that she was one of the main reasons to Pernilles achievements out on the pitch lately. The past two years with Magda had been absolutely amazing. Stunning. Tremendous. The Dane had to pinch herself a number of times to actually make sure that her life in this particular moment wasn’t just a dream. Football during the days and Magdalena during the evenings and nights. And the nights, yeah, let’s just say that they were more than amazing. They were magical. From the start of getting to know each other and to the point of today Pernille could never imagined that love could have been so…easy and natural. But…it was also hot. Intense. And just…

”Hello! Earth to Harder! Are you with us?”

Pernille snapped out of her thoughts and blinked her eyes more than once fighting to get back to reality when she heard her coach Martins voice.

”Sorry” she said sheepishly and glanced over quickly at Magda that seemed to observe her intently.

Pernille saw her girlfriend shook her head and then she broke their eye contact again.

”Okay, like I said” Martin continued. We cannot fall down with our midfielders to low in the pitch because thats when we get ourselves in unnecessarily bad situations. I want to see more offensive play in the second half, okay?

His words were met by a lot of determent ”yes” and ”of course” and ”let’s do this” before he turned his head to Magda to get a few last words from Linkopings team captain for the second half. Pernille locked eye with her girlfriend for a moment and gave her an encouraging smile, hoping that Magda could give her something in return that would calm the situation between them down for a bit. But no, Magda turned her head away immediately and squeezed her lips altogether to show Pernille that she wasn’t out of the burning barn yet. Pernilles heart dropped for a second, not wanting anything else than to tell everybody to get the hell out of the locker room so she could talk to Magda in private to sort whatever this was out.

”Okay girls” Magda said sounding like her normal captain-self despite the obvious issue with her lover. ”They’re going to have to work hard for it. Let’s go.”

Linkoping lead securely with 2-0 since the first half and had played very intact and stable. Pernille was glad that whatever happening between her and Magda it didn’t affect either of their performances out on the pitch. In fact, she could even tell that it made herself playing even better than she usually did, since she was starting to feel both a little frustrated and annoyed with the way Magda treated her. Seven minutes in to the second half it paid off. 3-0. Goal by Pernille Harder. Apparently that deserved a celebration from Magda although it was a quite reserved tap on her lower back and a quick squeeze to one of the Dane's shoulders together with the rest of their team mates. Thirteen minutes later the Dane hit the back of the net again with a precise header coming from one of Magdas perfectly placed corner shots and Pernille took the opportunity and ran out towards the corner flag to meet up with Magda and hugged her close.

”I just love your left foot” she mumbled softly into Magdas ear. She felt the Swedish defender shudder for a brief moment since she had made sure of the fact that Magda would feel her hot puffs of breaths in to her ear when she spoke.  
A second later they were surrounded by their team mates hugging them and celebrating the stand of 4-0 in the 75th minute of the game. 4-0 also became the end stand and Linkopings FC could celebrate another important victory and the fact that they still were in the top of the league.  
________________________________________________________________________

”Hey Janni, can I talk to you for a second?” Pernille said and tapped on her country colleague’s left shoulder.

”Of course” the Danish defender answered back. ”I think I know what you’re going to ask me and the answer is yes. I’ve already talked about it with Frido.”

Pernille was totally caught off guard hearing Jannis words.

”What?”

”Something is up with Magda. Or up with you and her. I don’t know. But I see it. She’s been very quiet and that’s not like her. Have you two been in a fight or something? Never mind, it’s not my business. But the answer is yes, you can sleep with Magda tonight.”

”Oh”, Pernille managed to get out of her mouth. ”I..well, I..”

”You can thank me later” Janni said and giggled. ”I will get my things and then we can switch key cards. I’ll get back soon.”

Pernille wasn’t at all prepared for that gesture from Janni without even having to ask or explain but she felt nothing but gratitude about it. After the game the whole team have had dinner together before heading back to the hotel to sleep before their flight went back tomorrow. Magda still had been acting weird and held a clear distance to Pernille and according to Pernille that could not continue. Not for a second.

Two minutes later Janni came back and put the key card in her hand discreetly.

”Here” she said as she entered Fridolina and Pernilles room. ”Go get your girl. Everyone else have gone to their rooms so you’re free to go. Martin has gone to bed.”

”Thanks” Pernille smiled.

She knew that this wasn’t going to be popular if someone else saw them doing this or if Martin found out. Not that anyone had anything to say about their relationship but it was just not appropriate. But this situation caused special doings.

”Good night” the Dane said and hugged both Janni and Fridolina at the same time before she smeared through the door and walked down the hotel corridor towards the room she knew her girlfriend was located in.

Pernille Harder took a deep breath before she put the key card in to lock up the door which lead to Magdalena.

”Okay Harder. You can do this.” she boosted herself one last time before she entered.

Just as she entered, the bathroom door flew open and the Dane found herself standing face to face with Magda who looked a little startled at their sudden encounter before she realized who it was.

”What…what are _you_ doing here?”

Pernille felt delighted when she heard that the tone in Magdas voice wasn’t as hostile as she had prepared for. It was more like the Swede was just surprised to see her there.

”I…I…can we talk?” Pernille managed to get out softly. ”I don’t know what’s wrong, but something is obviously _very_ wrong and I can’t stand it when we’re fighting.

She held her breath for a second and looked cautiously at Magda to see if there was any reaction.

”Are we’re fighting?” she added gently and tilted her head as she offered her girlfriend a small smile.

At first Magda opened her mouth and parted her lips (oh, those lips! Pernille had to lick her own cause all of a sudden she felt her mouth went all dry on her by the whole appearance of Magdalena Eriksson in that exact moment) like she was about to say something. Pernille waited in anticipation and just when she thought Magda was about to explain this whole thing she turned and walked away in to the room and up to one of the beds. For the hundredth time this day Pernille shook her head in confusion. What just happened here?

”Magda, I…”she started but was quickly interrupted when Magda suddenly turned around to face her while taking her hands down to the hem of her t-shirt and pulled it over her head.

The Swede threw her shirt on the floor beside the bed, leaving her upper body all naked causing Pernilles jaw to drop in astonishment by Magdas actions in this situation. Before Pernille could say anything else Magda turned around again, taking a hold of the beds cover and crawled in to it.

”Are you just going to stand there or are you coming to bed with me?” Magda said, half whispering in a small voice.

Okay, this was far more confusing than Pernilles mind could take. Magda had been acting like ice towards her for the most part of the day and now she was asking her to come to bed with her like nothing ever happened. Or no, not like nothing ever happened. Pernille could hear the cracks in her girlfriend’s voice. Something was definitely wrong and suddenly the Dane felt a bit uneasy but decided to chose the later alternative of what Magda was offering. She pulled off her black Linkoping sweats and did the same with her grey t-shirt with the Puma logo on. She quickly eyed Magdas bare back and then carefully slid down beside her. At first she felt unsure of what to do. If this had been an ordinary evening she would've spooned Magdas perfect body from head to toe. She would've caressed and devoured that soft skin like she always did when they were this close to each other under a bed cover but now she just felt disconcerted about what was going on, or what was not going on between them so she didn’t act normal. She couldn’t. She felt like whatever she did it was going to be wrong. But suddenly her heart dropped like a stone when she heard low sobs from Magda. Pernille acted fast and scooted closer to her now fully crying Swedish beauty and pressed her body against Magdas while she put her arms around her girlfriend hugging her tightly.

”You are scaring me” Pernille spoke softly in to Magdas ear. ”What is wrong? You have to tell me cause it breaks my heart when you’re crying you know.”

Magda answered with more tears at first and pressed her whole body backwards against Pernille as if she was trying to get as close as possible. Then she turned her head so their faces were just inches apart and all of a sudden Pernille felt Magdas lips on hers. It started softly but the kiss deepened instantly when they both parted their lips just enough to let their tongues wrestle intensely in a needy dance.

Pernille could hear Magda moan softly through the kiss. Usually that sound was like music to her ears but something told the Dane that this sound wasn’t meant to be a turn on in the regular way it used to be.

”Don’t ever let go of me” Magda whimpered.  
It sounded so desperate and the tone in the Swede’s voice caused a shiver through Pernilles whole body.

The Dane, still feeling really perplexed about what was going on felt a big rush of emotions inside of her when she heard Magdas words. She then forced Magda to turn to face her fully and cupped the Swede’s cheeks lovingly before she broke the kiss gently.

”I’m never letting you go. Never ever.”

What happened in Magdas face when Pernille spoke those words made her realize exactly what had been bothering her girlfriend all day. Pernille mentally knocked herself hard in the head the second she realized how stupid she had been. The sudden insight hit Pernille Harder _hard_ and if it had been another situation she would have laughed at the irony but this was serious business so holding back the laughter wasn’t exactly difficult for the Dane. Magdas good mood had changed when her agent had called on the bus. The call had been about the future. Top clubs worked hard for Pernille Harder to sign with them as soon as her contract with Linkopings FC expired at the end of this year. Pernille and Magda hadn’t been able to talk about the content of the call since the bus just stopped by the airport when Pernille had ended it. _Of course_ Magda had been affected. How could she not have been? Even though they had been talking about the future since the beginning of their relationship and never shoved that subject aside. This summer it had been the constant subject in whatever company they had been in for obvious reasons. Her family, Magdas family, her closest friends in Denmark, Magdas friends in Stockholm and last but not least, with their common friends. But since the Swedish league had started all over again after the summer vacation it had been like they both had been so tired of the subject that it hadn’t exactly been the high rated topic of conversation at their dinner table every night.

”Oh God.” Pernille sighed feeling like the most horrible girlfriend in the world in that moment. ”I’m so sorry baby…”


	2. It feels like I’m sharing you with the whole world right now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We all know what follows a fight...or whatever it was.

Although Pernille could feel that the earlier tension between them had disappeared she still blamed herself for causing it. Seeing Magdalena Erikssons beautiful eyes full of tears wasn’t something she neither liked or aimed for. Especially when she apparently was the main cause to it. The realization stung inside her roughly.

Before neither of them spoke again Pernille took a hold of Magdas shoulders and pulled her close against her body. They hugged softly for a brief moment and Pernille felt her girlfriend’s body relax against her own as Magda pressed her cheek softly against her chest. The crying seemed to have died down and Pernille let one of her fingers lovingly trail an invisible pattern on Magdas bare shoulder.

”I love you, you know that don’t you?” the Dane whispered tenderly in to the Swede’s hair. ”I am _in_ love with you.”

Magda turned her head up to face Pernille. Oh God how beautiful she was! Those eyes, newly cried, those eyes that Pernille could drown and loose herself in for hours whenever she got the chance to… and Magdas lips, those soft lips that always made Pernille loose the track of time, that fitted so perfectly well with her own. The Dane felt a huge rush of emotions crash through her body at the current sight of her girlfriend. Usually it was Magda that was the strong and determent one when it came to their relationship. After all the Swede had been the one to take the first step to change their relationship from just being really close friends to the relationship they were in today. And boy was Pernille glad and super thankful for Magdas courage and actions on that issue. Of course it had been struggles along the way, but that was most because Pernille had wrestled with her own fears that included the fact that Magda was a girl. Or a woman. Magda had been patient with her and luckily she’d soon accepted that whatever she felt for Magda wasn’t just feelings in a friendly manner. Ever since Magda had been guiding her through this new world and now, two years later, it wasn’t either new or scary anymore.  
But when it came to football, it was Pernille that had to boost Magda once in a while. Pernille knew she was maybe both gawky and awkward in many situations that didn’t included a football but when she was out on the pitch she felt both powerful and secure. Magda on the other hand, who also had lots of talent and was already by the age of 23 predicted to become the national team of Sweden's next star in the back line, hadn’t been equally confident throughout these years. But to Pernille it just had made them perfect together, perfect for each other. And it had taken them to this exact spot as of today where they right now could celebrate lots of success in Linkopings FC.

”I know” Magda whispered back. ”I love you too. _So_ much.”

They smiled gently to each other and Magda crawled up Pernilles body to kiss her once again.

”I love you _very_ much especially with no clothes on” the Dane joked making her girlfriend giggle. ”A lot”. Pernille wriggled her eyebrows playfully and lifted the cover up in order to get a peek of Magdas perfect body under it which got the Swede to giggle even more.

”You’re insatiable, you know that?” Magda laughed out before she gasped in surprise when Pernilles hands travelled across her bare skin and stopped when they reached her waist pulling her in close yet again.

”Only when it comes to you my dear” Pernille said in a low and hoarse voice breathing hotly straight in to her girlfriend's ear making Magda shiver as a result of her action.

”Make love to me” Magda begged, the tone in her voice sounding deadly serious all of a sudden as she looked straight in to Pernilles eyes. ”I need you…”

Pernille did not have to be asked twice about that request…

__________________________________________________________________________

When Magdalena Eriksson woke up the next morning and felt her girlfriend’s arms around her own body, safely spooning her, she couldn’t help but smile to herself. She felt a bit stiff and sore though. Typical feeling for a defender the day after a game. Pernille stirred a bit in her sleep and turned around to lay on her stomach. Magda took the opportunity to admire her girlfriend’s well-trained and muscular body. The Dane’s skin always seemed to be covered with a perfect tan whether it was winter or summer and Magda always wondered how that was even possible. Either way, last night had been incredible in more than one way. She felt herself blushing unconsciously when she thought about yesterday. Even though she couldn’t help it she knew that she'd been acted childish towards Pernille. Reality had been hitting her hard with that phone call from Pernilles agent. Ever since she’d first saw Pernille Harder on the pitch wearing the Linkoping jersey she had known that this day would come sooner or later. It was just that she’d never thought about the fact that she was going to be falling in love with the Dane back then. From time to time she also found herself being totally fascinated about that the Dane didn’t seem to be aware at all of her own greatness. Magda had never met anyone so humble as Pernille. Not once had the success risen to her head. And that was one of the main reasons why Magdalena Eriksson loved the blonde to the moon and back.

”Don’t stare at me when I sleep” Pernille mumbled.

Magda stifled a laugh.

”I do not stare at you” she pretended to sound a little offended by her girlfriend’s accusations.

”You do. I can feel it. It’s spooky”.

”I do not stare at you. I admire you. Thats a _big_ difference.”

Pernille opened her eyes and smiled to herself hearing Magda trying to explain. She was laying with her face in the opposite direction, so they didn’t see each other.

”Oh you do, do you?” the Dane turned around, her face covered with a wide grin.

She got up, hovering over Magdas body resting her own body weight in her hands, stopping just inches from her girlfriend’s face, staring down at the Swede’s lips.

”I…I…do…actually” Magda said weakly and not at all very convincing obviously affected by the sudden closeness of the object she’d just claimed to admire.

”Mm-mm.” Pernille hummed and leaned in to kiss her girlfriend good morning.

It was a soft and chaste kiss but Magda immediately took a hold of the opportunity and parted her lips while she let her hands grab a hold of Pernilles shoulders, which got the Dane to fall down on her, pressing their bodies close together. The Swede then spread her legs just to give Pernille enough space to settle in between them. The kissing thing got intense. Real intense.

”Oh God what are you doing to me?” Pernille mumbled through the kisses.

Instead of answering verbally Magda moaned loudly and just when Pernille was about to take the action to the next level a loud and demanding knock from the door was heard.

”Damn it!” she hissed through her teeth and froze.

”No, no, no don’t stop” Magda begged looking all frustrated over the fact that someone was rude enough to disturb them in this moment.

”Hey! You better be decent cause we’re coming in!” they heard a familiar voice through the door making them jump apart and off the bed in a hurry.

”Wait!” Magda shouted with a tone of desperation in her voice.

”Fine! We’ll wait” Fridolina said behind the door. ”But you better hurry before someone sees us out here.”

Magda stressed around to find some clothes to wear and her face looked rather relieved when she found her PUMA hoodie under the bed and quickly pulled it over her head.

”What are you laughing at?” the Swede asked when she saw the amused facial expression from Pernille standing on the other side of the bed already dressed in her t-shirt and sweats.

”Nothing.” the Dane swallowed her laugh.

The sight of Magda searching in desperation for something to wear was too funny to not laugh at but at the same time it wasn’t funny at all cause thinking about what Fridolina and Janni just had managed to prevent caused a bit of frustration at Pernille.

”Open the door now!” Janni asked again. ”Someone’s gonna see us and figure out that we switched rooms last night if you don’t let us in right now.”

Pernille made sure one last time that Magda was covered in clothes before she opened the door and put it open to let their team mates inside. Fridolina and Janni walked in.

”Happy 23rd birthday Magda!” they exclaimed at the same time revealing the two fully loaded breakfast trays they both had been carrying.

”Aaaaaw you guys!” Magda said gratefully visibly affected by their gesture.

Fridolina and Janni put the trays down and hugged Magda hard.

”You didn’t think we forgot that is was your birthday today, did you?” Fridolina asked and plopped herself down in one of the chairs by the table in front of the beds. ”And we had to make sure that you guys were up, since we’re leaving for the airport in an hour if you remember.”

”We knew that” Pernille lied and exchanged looks with her girlfriend.

”Yeah….right.” Janni laughed. ”Come on, let’s eat. We got eggs, bacon, sandwiches, juice, fruit and loads of coffee.”

”You are the best” Magda smiled. ”I’m just gonna find something to put up my hair with.”

The Swede turned and took charge to go to the bathroom when Pernille grabbed her arm and pulled her close.

”Happy birthday” she whispered in to Magdas ear. ”I’m sorry I didn’t get to…” Pernille cleared her throat before she finished the sentence. ”..to finish you off earlier…”

Magda got goose bumps all over hearing what the Dane just said to her. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard.

”You’ll get your birthday present later” Pernille smiled seeming pretty pleased with the affect her latest action had on Magdalena Eriksson. ”I have it in our apartment” she concluded and pressed a gentle kiss on Magdas cheek before letting her go.

”Hey! Stop being all dirty and get over here!” Fridolina shouted and threw a pillow at Pernille who just laughed and shook her head.

She knew Fridolina well enough to know that she was just kidding and by the look they exchanged Fridolina was also glad to see that everything seemed to be alright between Magda and Pernille again.

________________________________________________________________________

During the flight back to Stockholm Magda made sure to be as close to Pernille as possible. Some of their teammates raised both one and two eyebrows at the significant difference in how their team captain treated their top scorer compared with the trip yesterday and during the game. Although Magda herself still felt a little ashamed by her own behavior from yesterday she tried her best to put away those feelings for now.

”Are you okay?” Pernille questioned suddenly noticing Magdas troubled facial expression.

”Uuum…yeah” she answered trying to cover her emotions up. ”Just a little tired.”

”You’re sure?” the Dane asked again looking as if she wasn’t sure if she should believe the Swede or not.

Magda gave Pernille a small smile and leaned her head against her girlfriend’s shoulder.

”I’m sure.”

Pernille relaxed and leaned back in her seat. At the same time as the aircraft was taxiing out on the runway she put her hand on Magdas thigh and squeezed it gently and reassuringly. Feeling Magda also relaxing against her made her exhale in relief over the fact that everything seemed to be normal between them again. She was well aware that they had not talked about things properly yet and if they would do so they had to do it now or wait for tomorrow because when they got to Stockholm they were going to part from the rest of the team and head home to meet Magdas family and some of her closest friends to celebrate her birthday. It was already decided and they were heading back by train to Linkoping tomorrow.

”I kinda regret that I said yes when my parents invited us home to celebrate my birthday though” Magda said in a low voice still leaning her head against Pernilles shoulder. ”I just want to be alone with you. At home. In our apartment.”

”Me too” Pernille mumbled and turned her head just enough to place a soft kiss in Magdas hair.

Magda entwined their fingers and squeezed the Dane's hand tenderly. Every single touch seemed to be a dangerous move right now. They had to force themselves not touching each other too much in this environment. It could quickly turn inappropriate and that wasn’t like them. They usually could behave. Especially during football related things but since the incident between them yesterday it was hard not wanting to be close. As if they both felt a strong need to sort things out but also a stronger need than usual to show each other how they felt for one another.

”It feels like I’m sharing you with the whole world right now” Magda whispered.

Pernille frowned and turned fully to her girlfriend.

”Care to explain that further?”

”I’m not sure I can explain it. I just feel like everyone wants a piece of you. And I know that you’re not even aware of it. You never see stuff like that. But I see it. The whole football world is watching you and waits for you to decide on your future. You deserve it so much but I can’t help it if that scares me. I love you so much and _that_ scares me to.”

Pernille felt like her heart skipped more than a beat hearing Magdas heart wrenching speech. She cupped the left side of Magdas face with her hand and was just about to say something in return when her girlfriend spoke up again.

”I realize that I have been naive when we have talked about this in the past. Maybe because I didn’t think that I could love anyone this much. Maybe because I couldn’t see myself being so in love with you, thinking that you were actually the one I would spend the rest of my life with…I don’t know. But here I am, all vulnerable and totally, head over heels in love with you. And as much as it breaks my heart to know that we soon are going to probably have to spend a few years apart I also want you to know how _proud_ I am of you. How proud I am to be yours and over the fact that I _know_ that you someday soon will be seen as one of the worlds greatest football players.”

Pernille was stunned. Totally blown away. Magdas words had gone straight inside her heart and in that exact moment she didn’t care at all about that they were on a plane surrounded by people. She leaned in and captured Magdalena Erikssons lips with her own in a searing kiss making the whole world around them disappear.  
”You have no idea how much I love you right now” the Dane confessed after breaking the kiss which had caused them both to totally lose their breath. ”What did I ever do to deserve someone like you?”

”You just got lucky I guess” Magda said trying to light up the mood with a small joke letting out a small laugh while she wiped the upcoming tears in her eyes away with the back of her hand.

She then offered Pernille one of her million dollar smiles who in return leaned her forehead against Magdas and let it rest there for a while. The Dane also had a hard time holding back her tears right now.

”I must have…” Pernille whispered and started to place hot open-mouth kisses along Magdas cheek down her jaw quickly leading down to her neck.

Magda tilted her head to side to give the Dane more access and sighed with pleasure at the familiar feeling that started to build inside of her whenever her girlfriend did what she did to her right now. Unfortunately the feeling died down the second after when Pernille abruptly stopped her actions and leaned back placing each of her hands right above her own knees.

”Okay, I have to stop because otherwise I won’t be able to” the Dane whispered apologetically in a husky voice.

Magda just giggled and patted her girlfriend on the knee.

”Point taken” the Swede said. ”But I’m counting on you later…”

Pernille bit her lower lip, shut her eyes closed and turned her face away from Magda.

”You do know the rules…no dirty talk or things for that matter when we are at your parents house.”

Magdalena Eriksson lifted her eyebrows and shot her girlfriend a doubtful look.

”Yeah, yeah, and we both know how well we do on that rule…”


	3. I love your sister you know...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we give this a try and sees where this takes us all!

Amanda Eriksson observed her little sister and her girlfriend through the car's rear view mirror. Something was definitely up between Magda and Pernille. They acted…weird. Her little sister seemed preoccupied with her own thoughts and the Dane was more quiet than usual. Pernille had never been much of a talker. Not that Amanda found her sister’s girlfriend unusually shy or anything like that, rather being very polite and respectful to her surroundings. Since she had picked them up from the airport, Amanda couldn’t decide whether she thought they had been in fight with each other or if it was something else that bothered the couple. Something Amanda also noticed was the actual physical distance between her passengers. Now _that_ wasn’t like them at all. They acted more like they were afraid to be near one another.

”So, your game yesterday, was really good. You both played very well” Amanda said, feeling like she had to start a conversation, so that the awkward silence in the car would stop. ”Not because it was very exciting or anything since Umea didn’t create that many chances but still.”

”Good defense on our behalf” Pernille answered and glanced at her girlfriend sitting beside her.

Amanda saw that Magda offered the Dane a small smile in return of the credit.

”The defense is very grateful for the offensive work as well. Someone was very effective in the attack on the pitch yesterday” her little sister claimed and gave Pernille an appreciative look.

Amanda came to the conclusion that the couple weren’t fighting after all since they flirted gently with one another according to previously mentioned words. She exhaled a little after that discovery. Amanda knew her sister all too well, it would not have been a particularly pleasant evening if that had been the case. Magda had never been very good at hiding her feelings and it was always easy to look at her to see if she was angry or sad but now, Amanda had trouble deciding what actually went through her sister’s mind. Oh well, maybe she would have the chance to talk with Magda in private later.

”So, our grandparents is stopping by in an hour to wish you happy birthday Magda” Amanda told when she finally drove the car into their parents' driveway. ”Were your friends coming over for dinner later?

”Yes, Anna, Josefine and Veronica would come by and eat with us. I haven't met them since June.” Magda answered while the car stopped and they all got out.

The couple grabbed their bags and they all went in to the house. Magda and Amandas parents greeted them happily and as always Pernille felt warmly welcomed in to the Eriksson family.

”So, you girls might wanna change your clothes and wash up while we put on the coffee? Or are you hungry? I can cook some light lunch if you girls want?” Magdas dad asked.

”It’s not necessary dad” Magda said kindly. ”But I would love to get out of these clothes. It feels like I’m always wearing football training clothes. It could be nice to wear something else for a change.”  
”Yeah, me to” Pernille agreed.

”Let’s” Magda said and turned to her old childhood room further down the hall.

Amanda again observed them secretly when they disappeared in to Magdas room. She was still not convinced that something wasn’t bothering the couple but she decided to let it go for now.

When the door closed Magda threw her bag on the floor and almost jumped her girlfriend immediately. She pushed the Dane back up against the wall next to the bed and took a steady hold of her upper arms. Pernille immediately started to feel somewhat dizzy but before she could react further she felt Magdas lips cover her own. 

”I’m sorry but I can’t help myself” Magda gasped and let her tongue wrestle intensely with Pernilles.

The Dane, who already had lost all her senses in favor of Magdas demanding actions, which in itself were extremely sexy, kissed her girlfriend back with such frenzy making them both see stars in front of their eyes. Pernille cupped Magdas face firmly while the Swede worked on the zipper that belonged to the Linkoping training jacket that the Dane still was wearing. When it came off they broke the kiss in order to get some well-needed air.

”I want you” Magda whispered bluntly trying to catch her breath. ”Tell me you want me too”.

”Do you even have to ask me that?” Pernille breathed gently nibbling her girlfriend’s earlobe.

The heat was absolutely radiating from their bodies as they dove in to steal another steamy kiss from each others lips and it was like an invisible power that moved Pernilles hands down south on Magdas body and took a hold of the lower parts on the Swede’s t-shirt and forced it up and over her head. It dropped to the floor and when Magda felt Pernilles hands working frantically on to her now bare skin she moaned loudly. Maybe a little too loud. The Dane froze.

”Shhhh! You have to be quiet” Pernille hissed and gave Magda an anxious look.

”Sorry” the Swede whispered sheepishly. ”Stop touching me so damn fine then.”

The Dane raised her eyebrows towards Magda.

”Yeah, that may be a good idea…” Pernille hesitated for a few seconds.

”No, no, no!” the Swede begged desperately. ”That is _not_ a good idea. Not at all. I promise to be quiet.”

Pernille still looked hesitantly at her girlfriend, heavily doubting what Magda tried to convince her with at this point.

”Mm-mm…”

The look in Magdas face revealed nothing but apparent frustration with where the situation was headed.

”Please I just….I just need…”

Pernille was just about to answer when they heard a shy knock on the door.

”This is NOT happening!” Magda gritted through her teeth when she heard her sister’s voice through the closed door.

”Our grandparents are here. They came a little early.”

Pernille quickly looked down at Magda who was still holding on to her t-shirt. She fisted it so hard that her knuckles now had turned white and the Dane could not even remember seeing her girlfriend this frustrated ever before. She herself could not decide on whether it was a good or bad thing that Amanda had come to interrupt them. On one hand her own body really ached to be with Magda (but of course, when did she not?) and having the Swede so close within reach made it real tempting to just…do it. But on the other hand she felt a little relieved since she knew that Magdas family probably would have heard parts of what they were about to do after all. Being quiet during sex was not one of Magdas strengths. Not that Pernille used to complain about it. Not at all. But that was when they were alone, back home in their apartment, not in a house full of people that happened to be Magdalena Erikssons closest family. The Dane was not sure if she could’ve faced Magdas family afterwards if they’d gone through with it.

”We’re almost done. Just give us a few minutes and we’re out” Pernille shouted back as an answer to Amanda since Magda herself didn’t seem at all in the mood to reply on her sister’s ’behind-the-door-news’.

”Are you happy now?” Magda huffed and let go of Pernilles t-shirt almost pushing her away. The Swede was still extremely frustrated over the hard fact that they’d been interrupted for the second time this day.

Pernilles scrunched her face before she spoke.

”No. Not at all actually”.

The Dane used one of her hands to pull Magda close again while the other hand cupped the of side of the Swede’s face forcing their eyes to meet.

”Hey, don’t be angry with me now. I _always_ want you. But you can’t actually tell me that this is a perfect moment for us to have sex? And just for the record, that doesn’t mean that I’m not as frustrated as you but I’m not sure that I could have faced your family ever again if they would’ve heard you when you are screaming at the top of your lungs when I touch you. Don’t get me wrong here. I happen to absolutely love to hear you do that. It’s the most beautiful sound in the whole wide world, but NOT when we are in your parents house.”

”I do NOT scream” Magda pouted.

Pernille raised both eyebrows and gave her girlfriend a meaningful look.

”Okay, maybe I do but thats all your fault.” Magdas face softened a bit.

”And it should be my fault. Everyday it should be my fault…” the Dane whispered in a husky tone straight in to her girlfriend's ear making her shiver all over again.

Magda tugged gently on her t-shirt once again and threw her arms around her neck.

”Don’t start something you can’t finish now Harder” she whispered back, her mouth and lips dangerously close to Pernilles once again.

”I’ll promise I’ll make it up to you when we get back home…”

”Well, you better…”

________________________________________________________________________

The physical distance between her little sister and her girlfriend was even more obvious during the afternoon than before they had gone in to Magdas room to change their clothes. Amanda started to get a little worried about it again when she saw that her sister completely consciously chose to sit on a chair on the opposite side of the table from Pernille. This was not like the them at all.

”So, you have a game this upcoming weekend as well, haven’t you?” their dad asked when they all had taken their seats around the Eriksson family table. ”We were thinking of coming to watch you play.”

”Uuum…yeah” his youngest daughter’s girlfriend answered. ”Kristianstad this Sunday at 14.00 pm. It’s going to be great playing at home again. Then we both going to meet up with our National Teams next week for upcoming Euro Qualifications games. We’re facing Moldavia at first for an away game and then its Sweden at Viborg arena at home in Denmark. I think Sweden is up against Slovakia at home before heading to Denmark, right Magda?”

Magda nodded her head in response.

”Well, how do you feel about that?” Amanda asked with an amount of interest and turned to her little sister. ”That’s a little weird don’t you think Magda?”

”I’ll probably be at the bench anyway so its not gonna be so weird as one might think” Magda replied and leaned over the table to grab a hold of one of her mother’s homemade cookies.

The Swedish defender chewed thoughtfully on the cookie and gave her girlfriend a curious look.

Pernille who couldn't help but be well aware of how her gorgeous girlfriend actually chewed on that cookie with her raspberry lip glossy covered lips stared at Magda with an ”i’m-gonna-kill-you-if-you-don’t-stop-that-right-now-look”. It was obvious that the Swede made a hard effort to tease her. They had even shaken hands and agreed on the fact that they were adults enough to behave for God’s sake! It wasn’t even 24 hours until they would be home in their own apartment in Linkoping again. In her heart Pernille knew that every move and action was due to some kind of induced uncertainty created in her girlfriend from yesterdays events. It was like Magdalena Eriksson challenged her to prove something. ”So not healthy” Pernille thought to herself before before responding to Amanda’s wonder about the fact the they were up against each other in an important game with their respective National team.

”No, it should be…fine” she did her best to sound completely normal and unaffected but big sister Amanda took notice of the fact that the Dane swallowed hard and had made sure to turn her face away from Magda when she answered.

Amanda caught Pernilles eyes and the look in her sister’s girlfriends eyes made her confused. What in the world was up with those two?

”Mom, I _just_ remembered that I totally forgot to buy that spice you wanted for the food you are making tonight that you reminded me extra about before when I was at the store!” Amanda suddenly blurted out. She could hear herself rambling and it probably sounded a little over dramatic as well but she didn’t care. ”Pernille, care to join me for a walk down to the local store to get it?”

”Yes!” the Dane hurried to stand up, feeling nothing but gratitude towards Amanda in that exact moment. That second their eyes had met had made her realize that Magdas big sister had sensed that something was up.

Magda glared suspiciously at her sister but Amanda pretended not to see it.

”Great! Let’s go!”

Leaving Magda with her parents and grandparents Pernille was happy to follow Amanda out. And she avoided eye contact with her girlfriend while she did.

”Thanks” Pernille simply said with a small smile when the front door was closed behind them and they were met by the crispy late summer air. ”I really needed a break.”

”Well, that was pretty obvious” Amanda laughed. ”Care to tell me what is going on between you two?”

Pernille was glad that her and Amanda had been able to get so close to each other during these two years of relationship with Magda. She felt completely comfortable talking about her and Magdas relationship with her girlfriend's older sister. Even if she knew that Amanda was being very protective of her little sister she also knew that Amanda was well aware of how Magda worked as a person. That made this talk they were about to have a lot easier to Pernille. They started to walk slowly down the street.

”I love your sister you know” the Dane sighed.

”Please don’t tell me something that I already know” Amanda rolled her eyes. ”And excuse me for sounding a little offended but why do you even feel the need to tell me that?”

”I…I…don’t know” Pernille smiled weakly as another wave of great gratitude towards Amanda warmed her heart.

"Speak up Harder. Tell me what's wrong. What is my little sister up to?

Pernille couldn’t do anything but laugh when Amanda spoke. She showed nothing but an easy-going-attitude towards her sister’s girlfriend.  
”The football season is over in two months” she started to explain. ”It’s been really great four and half years for me in Linkoping. It has developed in to something I’d never expected it to be when I moved to Sweden. In more than one way.”

Amanda suddenly realized what it was Pernille was actually telling her.

”Oooh…I get it now.”

Again a heavy sigh was released from the Dane.

”Yesterday my agent called” she continued to explain. ”Magda heard every word I said during that conversation and she really was affected from it but we didn’t had the time to talk about it further. Lets just say that the way she acted towards me for the rest of the day wasn’t especially pleasant for either of us. I know she didn’t mean to and we did talk about it for a bit on the flight back this morning but not as much as I would have liked us to. I can feel that she needs me to tell her things right now that I’m not even sure of myself. But what I am sure of is that I can tell her that I love her, that I want to be with her, that I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I can tell her that these years with her have been the most amazing so far in my entire life and that it is only because of her. And I can tell her that there are absolutely no doubts at all about that what so ever. She is the main reason for most of the parts in my life that is working so well at the moment. I don’t know if she’s aware of those things though…”

”Oh Pernille” Amanda had a hard time to hold back tears that threatened to penetrate her eyes when she heard the Dane declare her love for her little sister.

She stopped walking and pulled Pernille in for a hug.

”My sister is really lucky you know.”

”I’m the one who’s been lucky enough to meet someone like her” Pernille said with a steady voice looking straight in to Amandas eyes.

Amanda did have to admire Pernille Harder in this moment. She understood that the situation that the couple soon were going to face wasn’t something the Dane looked forward to. But she also understood that it was going to be inevitable.

”So…where are you thinking about going?” Amanda asked as they started to walk again.

”My agent told me that I have upcoming offers from clubs in Germany, France, England, Spain and even from the US. But you can remove the US from the list because that is not an option” Pernille told her and shrugged. ”Germany and France are the most interesting choices so far. What’s most interesting is that I happen to think that Magda also can count down her time playing in Linkoping. She’s doesn’t seem to know or understand for that matter that her own development as a football player has been absolutely fantastic this season. But unfortunately that does not assure us that we will be able to play for the same club or even live in the same country initially.

”You want to know my opinion?” Amanda looked at Pernille cautiously. ”And not my opinion on what country you should or should not live or what club you should chose to play for. I mean my opinion about what you should tell my sister regarding all of this to calm her down for a bit.”

”Please tell me” the Dane said with curiosity.

”I think you should tell her what you just told me…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for kudos and comments along the way!


	4. I love everything about you

”Are you OK honey?”  
****

Magda jerked at her mom’s question. She discovered that she had been deep down in her own thoughts. God, she had to get a grip of herself now. 

”Uuumm…yeah, I’m good.”

Her mom smiled warmly in response and Magda felt her hug her shoulder gently.

”Why don't you go out on the back and relax on the porch while I start dinner? Pernille and Amanda should be back any minute and there is still a couple of hours left before your friends arrive.”

”Yeah, I think I’ll do that. Thanks mom.” Magda got up from the chair she had been sitting on and went out through the back door. 

The lovely, early September sun was still shining gently, covering the entire porch. She decided to just sit there for a while and just try to enjoy the moment. While she was sitting there at the edge of the porch swaying her legs back and forth she let her mind wander again. Magdalena Eriksson wasn’t dumb, she knew that her big sister had noticed something that wasn't really right between her and Pernille. Since yesterday Magda had beaten herself up a numerous of times for being so naive about their future. Also for acting so childish and too much of…a girl. What scared her most wasn’t actually the fact that they most likely not would be able to live together or even live in the same country for the next few years. No, what scared her was in fact that she was the first woman that Pernille Harder had been in a relationship with. Why? Yes, because when Pernille would move and end up in another football team Magda was scared to death that someone would take the Dane away from her. She knew that, if she spoke those thoughts out loud, it would sound completely crazy but she couldn’t help it. The Dane had once told her, in the beginning of their relationship, that once she had moved from Denmark and met Magda, it had been like a whole new world she’d discovered… and that was what The Swede was so afraid of if Pernille moved to another country again…Could there be other worlds for Pernille to discover, without her?

Magda had been dating girls before, and she had been calling other girls, girlfriends before as well. But Pernille wasn’t just a girlfriend. She was also her _best _friend. Her partner in crime. The one she lived with, the one she went to bed with every night, who she woke up next to each morning…Pernille Harder was everything Magda had been dreaming of when she was younger. She was the person she had been thinking of when the words ”the love of her life” had crossed her mind…

________________________________________________________________________

”Hey Mom, we’re back!” Amanda shouted as she entered the door with Pernille. 

She knew that they had taken their time to get the spice but she was glad they had the chance to talk properly. 

”Where is Magda?” Amanda asked her mom when they entered the kitchen. 

”She’s out in the back.” their mom answered and nodded her head towards the back door. 

”Alone?” Amanda asked again and shot Pernille a look. 

”Yes, alone” her mom smiled back. ”Your dad followed your grandparents home”. 

”Go to her” Amanda mouthed inaudibly to her little sister's girlfriend and Pernille was not late to obey and set off in the direction toward the back door. The door was slightly open but Pernille could tell that Magda hadn’t noticed that they had returned. She took a short moment to admire her girlfriend through the door’s window. 

Magda was leaning backwards, having her own body’s weight in her hands behind her back and it looked like she was enjoying the sun that was glowing faintly in her face. Her hair was released from its usual messy pony or tight bun and fell softly over her shoulders. Pernille sighed happily at the sight of her girlfriend. Magdalena Eriksson was hers and hers only and she intended to make sure it stayed that way for a long, long time ahead. She snuck out the door very carefully and approached her sunbathing girlfriend. 

Magda jumped in surprise when she felt two legs that slid smoothly down each side of her own legs. A second later she smiled at familiar feeling of her girlfriend settling down behind her, tenderly wrapping two strong arms around her. 

”Hi” Pernille mumbled in to her hair while breathing in the wonderful scent of the Swede. 

”Hi” Magda whispered and leaned back fully in to the Dane’s embrace. 

For several minutes they just sat there and enjoyed each other's proximity. Pernille leaned her chin against Magda's shoulder and exhaled in silence. Magda moved one of her hands up to one of the Dane’s forearms and gave it a light but loving squeeze. 

”Are you…”

”…OK?” Magda finished the sentence and sighed heavily. ”I’ve started to wonder why everyone suddenly asks me that question. I’ve heard it more times than I can count these last 24 hours. Am I that obvious?”

”You’re not gonna lose me you know” Pernille assured quietly. 

”You don’t know that” Magda’s voice cracked as she began to cry. She couldn’t hold back any longer. It was like the past 24 hours had made her completely emotionally exhausted and unstable at the same time. 

”I’m not gonna let you do this to yourself” the Dane spoke silently while she hugged and rocked Magda gently in an attempt to comfort and sooth her worries. ”I’m not gonna let youpush me away and decide that _we_ are not worth fighting for because you have some crazy ideas in your head right now…”

”But what if you find someone that is better than me?” Magda sobbed. 

The Swede heard herself and how it sounded. It was childish and totally irrational but she just had to say it out loud.

”Excuse me?” Pernille did her best to kill the laughter that threatened to escape her throat since she figured that laughter was not something Magda needed to hear right now.”Have you _seen _you? You’re smart, funny, and hot and beautiful. You’re sexy, nice and good looking…and did I mention that you’re also hot? Pernille was rambling but she didn’t care and kept talking. 

”I love everything about you. I love how you chew on your lip when you’re insecure before telling me something you don’t know how I’m gonna react about. I love how you always check on me when we’re on the pitch if someone takes me down. But I also love how it looks when _you _takes someone down…I love how care you about everyone around you that you love. I love the look on your face when we’re winning a football game. I love your mentality, that tells that you always want to do your best, how you get angry at yourself if you don’t think you did and that you demand the same from everyone around you to achieve common goals. I love you’re laughter and your smile, I love how you wrinkle your nose just before you giggle and I _love” _the Dane lowered her voice again. ”When you scream out, loud, when I touch you in all the rights places, because I can’t help it if that makes me feel sooo powerful and it always makes me wonder if I’m the only one that ever made you feel that way…” 

Magda was sure that her heart had skipped several beats hearing Pernille Harders honorable and convincing speech. The Dane saw that she had affected Magdalena Eriksson since the tears had stopped and boy (!) was Pernille glad for that. She had said and thought it before these past 24 hours but she absolutely hated to see her girlfriend cry.

”I love you.” Pernille whispered tenderly in to her ear, leaning forward and placed a soft kiss on Magda’s cheek.

The Swede turned her head and looked straight in to Pernilles eyes and saw the obvious honesty in them. Magda’s heart melted at the sight. 

”I love you too. And I am sorry for being such a…girl.” she whispered weakly. 

The Dane frowned and looked at her questioningly. 

”You’re forgiven. But just for the record I have to tell you that you are a girl. You know that don’t you?”

Magda giggled softly at Pernilles attempt to make a joke. 

”I happen to love this girl very, very much.” the Dane continued, once again whispering in to The Swede’s ear. 

”Lucky me” Magda offered her a small smile. 

”I guess we’re both very lucky then.” 

”I guess we are.”

Pernille pushed Magda's hair away from her right shoulder exposing The Swede's neck. She leaned in for a kiss and Magda once again just leaned back in to it. There was nothing sexual about it, just the two of them sharing this open-hearted moment.

Amanda watched them through the window and smiled to herself when she saw her little sister interact with her girlfriend. She suddenly felt extremely happy about the fact that Magda had met someone just like Pernille Harder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We go on. As I said after the last chapter, we'll se were this takes us.


	5. I’m gonna miss you, you know

”Oh God!” Magda groaned and fell back heavily in to the mattress while trying to catch her breath. She just lay for a few seconds covering her mouth with her hand. 

”The name is Pernille Harder, not Oh God!” the Dane smirked from the edge of the bed. 

Magda lifted her left hand over her head and grabbed one of the pillows and threw it playfully at her girlfriend. 

”Hey!” Pernille pretended to sound offended as she avoided the pillow that came flying through the air. She then quickly crawled up Magda’s bare body and took a hold of the Swede’s hands forcing them over her head. 

”You are starting to get a little too full of yourself Harder” Magda scrunched her face but Pernille knew that her girlfriend was only kidding. 

”Mmm…no” the Dane disagreed. ”Just too full of…you”.

Magda felt herself shiver completely uncontrollably when her girlfriend spoke lazily right in to her ear while scraping her nails gently along her naked body just to stop her movements down by her waistline. 

Since they had got home to their apartment two days ago they hadn’t left their bedroom more than necessary. Necessary things included football training and food. Unnecessary things included interacting too much with their friends and hanging out after training. 

Pernille had really kept her promise to make up for the lost alone-time. They had barely entered the door of their apartment until clothes had been thrown off in a hurry. When the Swede came to think about it she was quite sure that they’d never even picked those clothes up yet from wherever they had landed two days ago. Magda’s body had never been so…sore. Good sore though. 

”Kiss me” Magda demanded and gasped in surprise when her girlfriend applied to her command instantly covering the Swede’s mouth with her own. 

”Wanna go again?” Pernille whispered heavily breathing in to her mouth. 

The Dane squeaked in surprise when she felt herself being pushed back and fell over. Magdalena Eriksson straddled her waist wearing a wide grin. 

”Do we have time?” the Dane asked eagerly while turning her head toward the nightstand where their phones were, urging Magda to check what time it was. 

It was Sunday and that meant game day for Linkoping FC this time against the team from Kristianstad. Their last game before both of them were going to meet up with their National teams the following day. Magda’s dad and Amanda were coming too see it and Amanda was suppose to stay the night with Magda after the game. Unfortunately Pernille had to leave after today’s game since she had to make it down to Denmark. She and Janni Arnth was going to drive up to Stockholm from Linkoping tonight.They were booked on an early morning flight for Copenhagen the day after since the Danish National Team was gathering at Viborg Arena at lunch time. The Swedish National Team would start their tranings in Gothenburg tomorrow afternoon. The upcoming week also meant that they would have to spend time apart. Therefore they were making sure to use their time right now wisely. 

”It’s just 11.00” Magda informed and threw her phone back to where it had been. ”We got time…”

________________________________________________________________________

”Harder! Go left!” Stina Blackstenius did make a total fool of her defender with a quick move just outside penalty area. 

Without even looking Pernille passed the ball outside at the left side of the entire Kristianstad defense leaving Stina completely alone with the goalkeeper. The Dane held her breath in anticipation like she always did when she knew she had made a perfect pass waiting for Stina to score. BOOM! The ball hit the back of the net in to the left corner of the goal. The crowd cheered and screamed with joy when the scoreboard went from 0-0 to 1-0 in advance for their home team in the 41’ minute of the game. Stina turned around and ran back to Pernille to celebrate their fine collaboration for the eleventh time this season. 

”Yes!” they high fived each other one second before they were attacked by their teammates and the group hug was a fact. 

During the break Martin Sjogren, head coach in Linkoping FC, didn’t had much to say. They played exactly according to the game tactic he had planned for. The whole team took the time in the break to recover, drink some water and to eat bananas. In the forty-eight minute of the match Pernille once again made a perfect assist that fooled the entire Kristianstad defense and Norwegian Kristine Minde could easily change the score board from 1-0, to 2-0.

The Dane made football look so easy all the time and today she looked like she could have played blindfolded. Pernille Harder knew exactly where her teammates were located on the pitch in every situation and she was truly on fire. After playing together for almost four years they knew each other’s every move on the pitch. When the referee blew the whistle that told that the game was over the success in Linkoping FC had reached a new level. With sex games left to play, they still were unbeaten throughout the season and Pernille Harder was about to do her best season ever in Linkoping in terms of results. Her name was the first to be seen in both the assist league and the top scorer league closely followed by Stina Blackstenius.

________________________________________________________________________

Magda eyed her girlfriend secretly from a distance. The Dane was popular after all their home games and today was no exception. She watched Pernille writing autographs to her fans and pose for photos with children. Then there were the journalists who lined up to get a few words together with the big star in Linkoping FC. A feeling of great pride rushed through Magda when she observed her girlfriend interact with all people that wanted to have a piece of her. Once in a while the Dane searched through the crowd for the Swede and every time their eyes met Pernille fired off one of her perfectly white toothed smiles that made Magda’s heart skip a beat every single time it happened. 

When the crowd of people around Pernille seemed to scatter a bit Magda decided that enough was enough and headed over to the Dane. Unfortunately just in time for another encounter with a person Magda seemed to recognize but couldn't quite put her finger on who it was. She approached the man and Pernille after a moment's hesitation. 

”Magda!” Pernille smiled when she noticed the presence of her better half. ”This is Klaus Granlund, my agent. Klaus, meet Magdalena Eriksson, the girlfriend.”

Magda greeted him with a small smile and took a stand in the space next to Pernille. 

”Nice to meet you Magdalena. I’ve heard a lot about you” Klaus Granlund said and shook hands with the Swede. 

”Nice to meet you to” Magda returned his handshake. 

”I didn’t know you were coming here today though” Pernille said and turned her face back to Klaus. 

”No, I thought I’d make a surprise visit.” the agent answered suddenly looking a little hesitant shifting his focus back and forth between Pernille and Magda. ”Can I talk to you in private for a minute?”

Pernille frowned, a thoughtful look covering her face before she turned to take a look around. They were alone. 

”We  _are _in private.” 

Klaus Granlund let out a nervous laugh and looked apologetically at Magda. 

”Oh, I..I..just wait…” Magda started when she picked up the vibes from her girlfriend’s agent. 

”No, you stay right here” Pernille stated firmly looking very determined. 

The Dane grabbed one of Magda’s hands and squeezed it gently behind her back before she laced their fingers together. The Swede felt a warm rush of emotions that went through her as a result of Pernilles action. It was obvious that Pernille really wanted her to feel included. 

”Since I’m going to tell you every single word later anyways I think you should stay.” Pernille said softly and let her eyes meet Magda’s. ”It will save us valuable time” she ended with a wink. 

Magda relaxed visibly and that got the Dane calm inside. The last thing she wanted at this moment was to make Magda feel neither uncomfortable or left out from this particular conversation. They were in an adult, serious relationship and every important decision from now on regarding either of their futures had to include both of them somehow. Something told Pernille that Magda would feel less anxious about this whole ”what’s going to happen with Pernille next season-thing” if she felt she was an important part of it. 

”Ooh, alright then” Klaus started. ”Well, I just came here to of course watch you play and to tell you that the clubs I’ve talked to you about a few days ago, are Vfl Wolfsburg and Olympique Lyonnais. They are sending their scouts to Moldaiva and to Denmark to watch you play your Euro Qualifier games next week. As it sounds right now, they are willing to put great offers upon the table to have you play for them.”

Magda felt Pernille swaying briefly shifting weight from one foot to another. 

”Oh. That’s…that’s…” Pernille stuttered. 

”That is great!” Magda squeaked out. ”The best clubs in Europe! I’m so proud of you!”

The Dane shot her girlfriend a _very _surprised look and raised her eyebrows. What just happened here? Pernille had to shook her head to clear her thoughts before she answered. She was truly amazed by Magda’s reaction to the news Klaus Granlund just had delivered. The week they left behind had been telling her that this reaction from the Swede wasn’t something she’d expected to see. Although, she welcomed it. 

Magda was a little bit surprised by her own reaction as well. But that second Klaus Granlund mentioned which clubs it actually was all about she found herself amazed by the fact that even if she’d knew the capacity in Pernille, maybe she hadn’t realized what it meant in total yet. She melted inside with such pride when the thought crossed her mind. Pernille Harder, her girlfriend, _her _girlfriend, would soon be playing in a club with the potential to win Champions League. 

”Another thing” Klaus continued. ”I don’t know if you two are aware of it or if you’re even have thought or talked with each other about it for that matter. But you should be prepared for questions from the media about your private lives regarding your relationship ahead of your international game next week.”

”What? Why?” Pernille scrunched her face in agony as she felt Magda stiffened next to her both taking in what the Dane’s agent was trying to tell. None of them particularly wanted to stand up in front of media and answer questions about what it would be like to have to glide tackle their girlfriend or how it would feel to make a fool of the other one before scoring. 

”Pernille, you can’t tell me that you’re _that _naive” Klaus laughed. ”Girlfriend takes down girlfriend in an international football game. I can see the headlines already. It is a pity that you play as a defender Magdalena. Anyways, I just wanted to prepare you.”

He glanced down on his watch covering his wrist. 

”Okay, so I have to go. But you two, take care and have a good week of football both of you.”

”Thanks, I’ll guess I’ll talk to you after the international break then?” Pernille mumbled, already in the mental process of preparing answers to the questions that regarded her relationship with the media. 

Klaus nodded his head in response and left the couple who found themselves being preoccupied with their own thoughts which had them quiet in each other's company for once. 

”Pernille!” 

They both flinched when their head coach shouted the Dane’s name from the hallway that lead to the locker room area. 

”Can I talk to you for a second?”

”Yeah, I’m coming. Your office?”

Martin raised his thumb in response and disappeared around the corner again.

”Okay…I’ll just go find my dad and Amanda. I’ll see you later?” Magda asked softly as she started so move her thumb in soothing motions on the upper side of Pernille’s hand that she still was holding on to.

The Dane woke up from her foggy thoughts and lifted her head to meet Magdalena Eriksson’s beautiful eyes. She lifted her arms up to lock them safely around the Swede’s neck before she leaned in for a quick kiss. Pernille couldn’t help the bright and wide smile that covered her own face when she noticed the cute dimples in the corners of Magda’s mouth. What she also couldn’t help was that those dimples made her want to kiss her girlfriend again. Luckily they stood in one of the most secluded areas of the arena, so when Magda as a result from the next kiss made a noise, which sounded just like she was eating something _really _good, nobody else but Pernille could hear it.

”Ah, ah, ah!” the Dane told playfully pointing one finger at the Swede. ”Behave.”

Magda giggled and sticked her tongue out while making a face.

”Oh shut up!” the Swede smiled and slapped her girlfriend gently in the back when Pernille turned to walk to Martin’s office.

”Later honey!” she winked before leaving Magda standing there wearing a goofy but very happy smile all over her face.

________________________________________________________________________

”Magda, do you know where all my training t-shirts from DBU are? I can’t find them with the new logo!”

Magdalena Eriksson rolled her eyes knowingly and got up from the couch where she sat and talked with her big sister. Pernille was packing and as usual the Dane didn’t have clue where she had her things.

Entering their bedroom Magda smiled to herself when she saw the mess with all the clothes on their bed. 

”Here” she told her girlfriend and pointed firmly in to their closet where a big pile of red and white t-shirts were neatly folded in up on one of the shelves. 

”Oh. There” Pernille said sheepishly. ”Sorry…”

Magda just laughed at her girlfriend. It was well known for both of them that the Swede was the one that kept things and clothes for that matter, in their right places. Magda was the most accurate of them and she absolutely hated when things weren’t in order. Although the Dane was the exact opposite they had never been in a fight about things that included cleaning or anything like that. Instead, Magda had surprisingly enough found that side of her girlfriend to be quite…cute. 

”You’re hopeless…” Magda joked. 

”You’re right” Pernille agreed and quickly closed the distance between them. ”Hopelessly in love with you…”

”You’re cheesy as well” Magda murmured as the lips of her girlfriend appeared dangerously close to her own. 

”Oh, you love it…” the Dane whispered as she leaned in to tease Magda with her lips for a few seconds before she actually kissed her properly. 

”Mmm…maybe” the Swede pretended to think about it for a second when the kiss broke.

”I’m going to miss you, you know…” Pernille said, who’s face suddenly turned serious. 

Magda sighed heavily.

”Me too.”

Although they had moved in together quite fast after starting their relationship they were used to the fact that meetings with their respective National teams had separated them from time to time during the past two years. This summer Magda had been in Brazil for over a month to play in the Olympics when the Swedish National Team unexpectedly had ended up in the final and had got the silver medal in the tournament. But even though they were used to it, it didn’t mean that it was easy. It was hard to even find time for a phone call during these team meetings since either of them never were in private due to trainings, joined meals with the team and shared hotel rooms with teammates. Usually they just texted each other whenever they got the chance using WhatsApp or Facebooks messenger. Another part that made it difficult was when one of them was in a country with a completely different time zone. Like Brazil for example.

”Hey! Janni is here.” they heard Amanda shout from the living room.

Pernille embraced Magda tenderly and kissed her cheek one last time before they parted.

The Dane put the newly found t-shirts in to her bag and closed it.

”There. All done” she stated before they accompanied each other out to meet Janni.

After saying goodbye to each other the two Danish National team players walked through the door leaving Magda and Amanda alone in the couple’s apartment. Amanda noticed that Magda’s mood changed and put an arm around her little sister to comfort her.

”Lucky for you that I'm here to be your second best company in the world” Amanda joked and dragged her little sister back in the living room. ”Now I want to hear everything about the birthday present you got from Pernille…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your kudos!


	6. Admit it, you would absolutely love to take me down...

”I still can’t believe she booked you guys on a trip to Sri Lanka” Amanda said, amazed by the news of what Pernille had given Magda for her birthday.

The Eriksson sisters were getting ready for bed after a very nice and cozy evening together. Spending valuable time with her big sister had made Magda realized how much she had missed Amanda. It had been way too long since it was just the two of them. She wrote a mental note to herself, that promised to make that happen more often in the future. 

”She knew I really wanted to go there.” Magda smiled. ”I’m really glad that Fridolina and her boyfriend are joining us for a few days there on their trip through Asia. I’m guessing it will be the last time in a while that the three of us can hang out like that. She really has been a true best friend to both Pernille and me during our time here. She was the first to know about us getting together you know.”

”I thought I was the first” Amanda pretended to be hurt. 

”I meant that she was the first outside family to know about us” Magda quickly corrected and laughed. 

She then turned a little more serious and sat down on the bed facing her big sister. 

”Thanks for being here with me tonight”. 

Amanda plopped down beside her and put her arm around Magda hugging her tightly. 

”You’re welcome sis. I miss you sometimes you know.”

Magda sighed and leaned her chin on her sister’s shoulder.

”I miss you too. We should do this more often.”

”We really should” Amanda nodded. 

When her sister got up to brush her teeth Magda reached for her phone and sent a text to her girlfriend.

”_I miss you already.”_

Ten seconds later her phone buzzed with an answer from the Dane. 

_”I miss you too. Hope you and Amanda had a great evening together. Tell her I said hi. Sweet dreams baby.”_

Magda texted one of those smileys back that blew a kiss and got up to pull the cover off from the bed just in time when Amanda got back from the bathroom. 

”I have washed the sheets. I promise.” Magda tried to say without blushing but failed miserably. 

Amanda couldn’t help but laugh at her sister. 

”I sure hope so!”

The sisters went to bed and continued their heart-to-heart-talk about how much they had missed spending time with one another. 

”What do you dream about Magda?” Amanda asked in a low voice. ”I mean, you have had a really good year in your carrier as well. Before you moved here you used to tell me about your dreams all the time.”

Magda turned in bed so she faced her big sister as she pulled the cover up to her chin. 

”Right now it feels like I have everything I’ve wanted” she said quietly. ”I don’t know how to explain it. It’s been a really rough week, I’ll admit that. I’m also painfully aware of the fact that it’s going to be hard from time to time again if you know what I mean. Sometimes it has felt like I have been the only one who has prioritized our relationship and that has made me both angry and sad. And before you say something, I _know _it isn’t true. It’s all in my head. Maybe it’s because I’m scared to dream about my carrier as a football player and Pernille never has been scared to dream big.”

”When we went to the store to get that spice the other day…”

”Was that even true?” Magda asked doubtfully. ”Or did you make that up since you noticed that my girlfriend was really awkward about my childish behavior toward her?”

”It was true” Amanda reassured. ”I had forgot about it. Even though I know you would find it suspicious.”

Big sister Eriksson cleared her throat before she continued. 

”She loves you. And I, as your big sister, I love her for that. I know it’s easy for me to say, but that love you feel for one another is going to make you get trough whatever challenges you’re facing. You really should trust her and trust the process. Not to mention, you really should trust yourself Magda. Pernille is trusting you, both as her partner in life, as her girlfriend and on you as a football player. All she could talk about was how good you are on the pitch and how much you have grown and developedas a defender this year.”

”I know…but she’s trusting herself more than I do. She is a natural talent.” Magda half whispering, clearly touched by her sister’s words. 

”You know what she told me?” Amanda asked. 

Magda shook her head in silence. 

”She told me that if it wasn’t for you she hadn’t been the person she is today.”

Magda felt the tears coming to make a visit in the corner of her eyes for what she felt like was the hundredth time this week. 

”I feel the same way about her…”

”So, I ask you again…what are your dreams in life little sister?” 

Magda pulled herself together before she asked. 

”I want to play football abroad. I..I…want to win big titles and I want to be able to live on just playing football. And in a few years I want me and her to play for the same team,for us to live together again and for us to get…married and spend the rest of our lives together.”

Amanda smiled knowingly and stretched out her hand to wipe her sister's tears away. 

”Forgive if I’m laughing, but that’s _exactly _what she told me when I asked her the same question…”

________________________________________________________________________

Pernille Harder felt like she was on top of the world this particular day. Not just for the fact that she was dressed in red and white again, but also because the Danish National team finally were about to play competition games again. Games that really mattered! She could never imagine herself ever being tired of playing for Denmark, her country. When she, a couple of years ago had been honored with the question about being the team captain she had not hesitated for one second before she had accepted the offer. She knew she was still young, but she really respected all the players in her team and was honored to captain every single one of them. This upcoming UEFA Women’s Euro tournament she had a feeling that the Danish team could work wonder and surprise a lot of people in the world of football. The first training session at home, in Viborg arena, was done. They had one session left before their flight to Moldava, for their second last game in this qualification. One win and they had secured their place in the tournament that would be played in the Netherlands next summer. The conditions for Sweden were the same, which meant that if they both won their first games this upcoming week, the game between Sweden and Denmark would mean nothing. 

Back in the hotel room, after the danish training session, which she shared with Janni (thank God for that), she decided to give it a try to call Magda. A quick glance at the time, she quickly figured out that the training session in Sweden also must have ended. The Dane typed in her girlfriend’s contact in her phone. Janni still hadn’t got back and she hoped in silence that her teammate, although she really liked Janni, could stay away for another couple of minutes. 

Her face lit up, maybe abnormally too much, when Magda answered. 

”Hi beautiful” Pernille said, her voice a little hoarse. 

”Hi baby” the Swede greeted happily in to the phone. 

Pernille felt herself shudder with pleasure hearing her girlfriend’s familiar voice with a hint of that raspy tone. 

”Did your trip go well? Did you having a good training session?”

”Yes and yes. I feel quite tired though. Amanda and I were up way too late yesterday talking…but it was really nice so I can’t really complain.”

”Your sister seems to have been a great psychologist to the both of us this past week” the Dane responded with a small laugh. 

Magda sighed softly in to the phone.

”Do you know what I want to do as soon as we’re home again?”

”Something that includes you being naked?” the Dane suggested. She spoke low even though she was alone in the room. 

The Swede wrinkled her nose before she started to giggle in to the phone.

”Mmm, maybe. If you’re good. And only if you agree to be naked with me…” 

”I can be naked with you. No problems” the Dane cut her off in a husky voice. ”It’s not healthy to miss someone like I miss you. All the time, every hour, every minute, every second we’re apart I miss you.”

She heard her girlfriend inhale and exhale loudly before she answered.

”I miss you too…” the Swede sighed. 

”I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt what you were saying before. Tell me, what did you want us to do when we get back home?” Pernille said gently trying to be serious again. 

”Well” Magda started. ”I want to go on a date with you. Maybe we can have dinner out in a nice restaurant, nothing fancy you know but still…and just…talk. Maybe one of the restaurants we use to go to when we first got together. And then…we can go home…and get naked…cause I really _love _to be naked with you…”

Pernille listened carefully to every word her girlfriend just said. 

”We could do…that” the Dane swallowed hard and tried to focus properly. ”Yeah, we definitely can do that.”

”Good. I can’t wait…” the Swede whispered softly. 

”Me neither…” 

Magda suddenly heard a door that opened and closed in to the phone, realizing that Pernille wasn’t alone anymore. 

”Are you living with Janni?” she asked trying to sound normal again when her own roommate Stina Blackstenius, in the same second entered the room. 

”Uum, yeah. Are you sharing rooms with Stina? If you do, tell her I said hi and that I intend to captain my team to stop her roughly next week from scoring when you guys are coming to Viborg.”

”Haha! I will tell her that. I promise.” 

”Good…we’re off to Moldava Wednesday morning so I’ll guess I’ll talk to you when we get back to Denmark this weekend?” Pernille asked. ”I don’t know if Moldava has the best internet or wifi connections.” 

”They haven’t” Magda laughed. ”I was there a year ago, remember?” 

”Yeah…right. Well, I guess I’m going to have to make it without your beautiful voice for a couple of days then…” the Dane frowned. 

”I guess you have to.” 

”I love you.” Pernille stated firmly. In the corner of her eye she saw Janni smile to herself hearing parts of her conversation. 

”I love you too. Score a lot of goals i Moldava for me.” Magda wished.

The Dane laughed. 

”I promise. Bye beautiful.”

”Bye baby…”

Pernille touched the screen on her phone to end the call and sighed in delight. 

”I’m guessing that it was Magda you talked to?” Janni asked. ”Otherwise I’m getting worried.”

”You have nothing to worry about I promise” Pernille assured with a smile. 

”Good!” Janni said before she disappeared in to the bathroom. 

Pernille closed her eyes and fell down on her back in the bed. Why was it so hard to be away from Magda now? Of course it never had been easy but now, now she felt like it was almost unbearable. 

”Have you ever wished that you just had a regular job?” she asked Janni when her roommate came back out from the bathroom. ”You know, just a 9 to 5 job, Monday to Friday, with free weekends?”

”No” Janni responded honestly. ”But on the other hand, I’m not crazy in love with another professional football player. So I guess I look at things differently than you do.”

Pernille Harder lifted one of the pillows to put over her face and groaned with frustration in to it.

”You want an advise Harder?” Janni Arnth sounding very friendly. 

”Hit me” the younger blonde answered from under the pillow. 

”Just enjoy the moment. Enjoy playing football. Enjoy being in love. I for one happen to think that there are just a few people in the world that are lucky enough to have both of those things you love most in life at the same time so close in reach.”

Pernille took the pillow away from her face and lifted one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows toward her roommate. 

”Since when did you become so wise?

”I am six year older than you, remember?” Janni joked.

”I forgot that important part” Pernille joked back. 

They laughed out loud simultaneously. 

”Thanks Janni.” Pernille said when the laughter had died down. ”I really needed to hear that.”

”You're welcome Harder.” her roommate replied. ”Anytime you know…”

________________________________________________________________________

”Uuuuffhh!” 

Stina Blackstenius groaned when she was hit by a perfect sliding tackle coming from Magda at the end of their last training session before the game against Slovakia. Although Magda knew she almost likely would found herself on the bench these two games she’d really put an effort in every minute of training this week. Head coach for the Swedish National Team, Pia Sundhage, had pushed her hard. Magda knew that Pia believed in her in the nearest future. The problem for the young Swede was that she competed with older and more experienced centre backs so Pia pushed her to try the left back position. And that position was currently secured by her colleague in the back line from Linkoping, Jessica Samuelsson. 

”Great work Magda!” team captain Caroline Seger applauded her defending qualities as Stina got up and did a thumbs up saying that she agreed. 

Magdalena Eriksson knew her time as a starter in the Swedish team would come. She was quite happy with the current situation anyway. Especially since she had received questions from the media in the mixed zone yesterday about how it would feel to be forced to take a certain Pernille Harder down with a glide tackle next week when they would play Denmark. She had received much credit afterwards from the national team manager for her diplomatic answers in which she had told the reporter that both of them, girlfriends or not, took this game very seriously and that they were adults enough to separate their personal and private lives when it came to football. Her teammates had noticed that Magda wasn’t at all comfortable with questions regarding her relationship to the Danish International star but all of them had encouraged her to just act natural and professional about it whatever the reporters asked her. 

Two hours later, after their usual team dinner, her and Stina lay on their beds back in their room and watched TV when Magda’s phone buzzed, telling her that she had a new message. 

”_Admit it. You would absolutely love to take me down ;-)”_

The Swede’s smiled wide and bright when she saw who the sender was. 

_”Maybe…But I am a professional you see…” _she texted back.

_”Just saw the interview. Made me smile. You look cute..” _the reply came quickly. 

_”Can’t help it. Talking about you always makes me smile.” _

_”Yeah, you know what? Thinking about you makes me want to…do stuff with you. Can’t wait to see you again. Miss you a lot!”_

Magda felt herself blush after reading her girlfriend’s blunt message and apparently Stina picked up on her mood cause her teammate laughed a little when she noticed Magda's rosy cheeks. 

”Oh no! Stop it with the text-message-sex-thing you got going there. You are way too obvious.”

”What? There’s no such thing at all!” Magda tried to cover it up. 

”Yeah…right!” Stina rolled her eyes knowingly. 

The defender smiled sheepishly before she took a hold of her phone again and replied the Dane one last time. 

_”Miss you too…a lot. Hope your training sessions have been great and that you are ready for tomorrow. I’ll cheer for you. Secretly.” _

Pernille texted her back one last time with one of those smileys that had hearts in its eyes. 

”You guys are just too cute, you know that?” Stina smiled. ”If you would type in the words ’the perfect couple’ for a Google search I’m pretty sure that the names Magdalena Eriksson and Pernille Harder would come out on top.”

”Haha, you’re crazy” Magda said feeling a little embarrassed. 

”I mean it” her roommate insisted. ”I’m happy for you both. You truly deserve it.”

Magda felt herself blush again and gave Stina a shy smile. 

”Thanks. I feel really lucky at the moment you know. Although I’m guessing that I have to make the most of it right now cause I most likely have to handle a long distance relationship next year.”

”Yeah…I already guessed that.” Stina smiled out of compassion. 

”How about you? I’m guessing you have tons of offer as well?” Magda asked. ”Your season has been amazing. Feels a little sad to think about the fact that we all probably will be separated for next season…”

”Well, I would lie if I said that I didn’t had any offers.” Stina sighed. ”I just don’t know what I want yet. I'm not as well-planned about my future as your girlfriend. How about you?”

Magda laughed at Stina’s comment. 

”Me? I don’t even have an agent yet. Both my dad and Pernille nags at me about getting one though. But I don’t know. I believe I have to stay in Linkoping a couple of years, to develope some more.”

”I don’t get you Magda” Stina said totally gaped . ”You are one of Sweden’s best centre backs. This season you really have improved your game. Get yourself an agent! Listen to your dad and your girlfriend.”

Magda was surprised to hear Stina Blackstenius speak so determinately. The younger blonde could easily be taken for being quite shy and quiet.

”Maybe I will.” the defender nodded.

”Maybe? Just do it already!"


	7. You’ve never thought about getting a room right here and now?

”No, no, no! Follow her, come on, you got her back….NOOOO!” 

When the ball hit the back of the net behind the Swedish goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl it was followed by a big noise coming from the home crowd at Viborg arena. The atmosphere in the Swedish booth dropped drastically after a performance by Pernille Harder at the Danish midfield who, after two good dribbles and an even faster turn, rolled the ball behind the Swedish backline, where it was received by her teammate Johanna Rasmussen who easily hit the ball and scored.

”You can’t give her that space!” Pia Sundhage buried her face in her hands and groaned in frustration. 

On the Swedish bench, Magda and Stina exchanged meaningful looks and rolled their eyes knowingly. The Harder show seemed to be up and running and something told them that this goal from Denmark was just the beginning. Coming from the game in Moldova, where Pernille Harder had scored a hat trick, her already solid self-confidence seemed to be greater than ever. 

Magda couldn’t help but thinking that her girlfriend’s aura out there on the pitch was a real turn on. She followed Pernille intently with her gaze as the Dane moved around the field. That muscular, well-trained and tanned body_,_ moving like a gazelle across the field. And then it was the arms. Those strong arms, that Magda could discern, even from this distance, that had rocked her safely to sleep so many nights…Magda shifted in her seat, biting her lower lip to stop those thoughts from invading her mind. 

”_Not _the best time or place for that matter for dirty thoughts”, she decided and shook her head slightly to regain sense. 

Although both Sweden and Denmark already were qualified to the Euro’s and this game didn’t actually mean anything it was pretty obvious that Pernille Harder had no intention to slow things down. The Danish team captain urged, pushed and directed her teammates with an authority that Magda never had seen before. It eventually paid off once again, when Nadia Nadim in the beginning of the second half, scored 2-0 to Denmark. The remainder of the game, Sweden really tried to create chances to score, but Denmark, who seemed to have both more energy and will, managed to hold off and win the match. 

After, several of the players stayed on the pitch, to say thanks for a good match and just to chat. Many of the Danish and Swedish players knew each other way back in time and took the opportunity to catch up. Therefore it felt completely natural for Pernille to look for her girlfriend through the crowded area and when she found her, talking with Nadia Nadim, she decided to take the chance to finally see her better half in real life after a little more than a week apart. 

”Hey stranger” the Dane greeted her girlfriend when she was close enough to put her hand on the Swede’s arm to make awareness of her presence. 

She saw Magda’s face lit up and the sight of those familiar dimples showing in the corner of her girlfriend’s mouth got Pernille’s heart to jump with pure joy. 

”Oh, oh,” Nadia Nadim said with a grin. ”Time for me to leave I see. Don’t cuddle  _too _much with the enemy Harder.”

And with that Pernille and Magda were alone. Or so alone one could be in the middle of a football field full of people right after an international game. 

”Who on earth allowed you to look this good?” Pernille mumbled loud enough for only Magda to hear.”Are you trying to kill me?”

Magda tilted her head with a small smile in return of the compliment. They felt a little awkward, standing there with with people all around in this particular situation, really not knowing if it was okay to hug each other or if they just should stand there and act casual. 

They obviouslychose the later option cause for a moment they just stood there, both their faces covered in goofy smiles. Pernille’s body ached to be close to Magdalena Eriksson but she knew this wasn’t the time or the place to act on those feelings. 

”Good game Harder” the Swede half whispered to break the silence. 

”Thank you” the Dane responded and stayed quiet for a few seconds before she continued. ”You have no idea how much I want to kiss you right now.”

Magda parted her lips, just like she going to say something, but then she closed her mouth again, her breath a little shorter than usual.

”I think I do know” the Swede then groaned, sounding a little frustrated. 

Pernille lifted one of her fingers very discreetly to touch her girlfriend's hand on the upper side and she did her best to do it very subtle. 

”When will I see you tomorrow?”she asked softly. 

Feeling Pernille’s finger tip move around on her hand forced Magda to close her eyes and just enjoy their subtle skin-to-skin-contact briefly. 

”Maybe we can we go home from Arlanda together? Our flight lands at 11.00 am” she suggested. 

”We could do that…” Pernille replied quietly. ”If you’re willing to wait for me? Janni and I arrive at 12.45.”

”I’ll wait for you.” the Swede quickly responded. ”I’ll definitely wait for you…”

The Dane couldn’t help the bright smile that invaded her face.

”OK. I’m gonna hug you now.”

”Why do you tell me that?” Magda wondered looking all confused. 

”Since we’re standing in the middle of a crowded football field and we are surrounded by a lot of people, for sure some photographers who’s cameras will love what I’m about to do.” 

”Oooh.”

”Mmm…” 

The Dane took a small step closer and pulled her girlfriend toward her, opening her arms to embrace Magda tenderly. She sighed out of comfort when the familiar scent of Magdalena Eriksson hit her nose. The Swede in return, gasped inaudibly at the sensation of being in close contact with her better half again. She couldn’t help but bury her face in the crook of Pernille’s neck. 

”Hey! Hey! Hey! A little too friendly don’t you think?” they heard a familiar voice from behind which caused the couple to break the hug. 

”Not friendly enough if you ask me” Pernille grinned and turned around. 

Stina, Janni and Jessica laughed in unison at Pernille’s statement. The five Linkoping players stood there for another couple of minutes, talking about the game and just hung out for a while. Before they parted it was decided that they all should go together home from Arlanda back to Linkoping the day after. 

”OK, so I’ll see you guys tomorrow then. Have a safe flight.” Jessica Samuelsson said in her usual cheerful way. ”Come on girls, time to shower.”

Since the crowd of people had scattered massively around them Pernille took the opportunity to lean in for a soft kiss on Magda’s cheek. 

”I’ll see you tomorrow…”

________________________________________________________________________

Magda felt like a child waking up on Christmas morning the next day. The feeling inside her was over whelming and she couldn’t wait til she could see Pernille Harder again. Stina and Jessica raised their eyebrows more than once when Magda chirped happily just like a little bird all through their flight back home. 

”Do we even have to ask what or, who, is causing you this good mood?” Stina said knowingly when they had parted from the rest of the Swedish National Team back home at Arlanda walking through the terminal. 

”Oh, you know” Magda singed and put one arm around Stina and the other one around Jessica. ”I’m just so happy to be with you guys. Isn’t life just beautiful?”

”Okay Magda, we’ll be sure to remember you just like this next time we’ll lose a football game this season” Stina said, shaking her head laughing. 

”Who says we’re gonna lose this season?” Magda cut her off looking annoyingly confident. ”Not on my watch anyway! Come on! Let’s go eat something. I’m buying!”

They found a nice and calm restaurant in one of Arlandas more secluded areas and ate an early lunch while they waited for Pernille and Janni’s flight to arrive. Magda sent a text to Pernille to let them know where they were. And when Magda spotted her girlfriend down the airport hall, walking casually and relaxed with her bag resting on her shoulder, the Swede’s heart fluttered. Pernille was, just like herself, still wearing the colors of her national team, with a red and white training jacket, black trainers and white sneakers. Her blonde hair was put up in a sloppy, messy bun. 

”You look just as happy to see us as Magda have been all morning!” Jessica joked when the two Danish women approached them. ”Apparently Stina and I are such a good company!”

”I’m sure you are” Pernille smiled and dropped her bag to the floor. 

The following couple of minutes they just updated one another in how their week with their teams had been, how the games against Moldova and Slovakia had been and at last, how their flights back had been. Pernille made totally sure of the fact to make deep and intense eye contact with her girlfriend while they chatted.Soon Janni, Stina and Jessica were engaged in a conversation of their own about how unfair it was that the Danish National team had to walk around with indelible and not at all ergonomic shoulder strap bags unlike the bags the Swedish team used. The Dane finally made her move and closed the distance between herself and her girlfriend.She put both her hands on the Swede’s waist and pulled her close. 

”Hey you…” she murmured, resting her forehead against Magdas. 

”Hey…” the Swede whispered, tilting her head just a little so their lips finally could meet softly. 

The feeling of Pernille’s lips against her own, caused Magda to sigh with delight at the sensation and like so many times before, she totally forgot all about where they were. Her hands were soon all wrapped up in the Dane's hair as their lips moved in a slow yet familiar sync. They broke the kiss, a little out of breath and Pernille put her arms around Magda just down in the area of her lower back. She pulled the Swede closer, which caused their bodies pressing even closer together. To anyone outside watching them it just looked like they were hugging each other real tight.

”What are you doing?” Magda asked, giggling when she felt one of the Dane's hands travel down to the hem of her training jacket. One second later she felt a soft hand explore her bare skin under the training jacket. 

”I just want to feel you up…just a little. Wait…” Pernille mumbled in to the crook of her neck spreading her fingers out all over Magdas lower back under the jacket.”You feel so good…”

”So do…so do you” Magda had a hard time getting the words out, clearly affected by her girlfriend’s small hand adventures. 

”Okay! Enough of that now!” Janni slapped Pernille’s shoulder playfully from behind. 

Pernille turned, making a pouting face. 

”Hey, here’s an idea, why don’t the three of you go to pick up my car so I can feel my girlfriend up some more? 

Those words caused Magdalena Eriksson to giggle again and she buried her face with total embarrassment in to Pernille’s neck. Their three friends couldn’t hold back any longer, all of them bursting out in to loud laughters. 

”You’ve never thought about getting a room right here and now?” Jessica managed to get out between the attacks of laughter. 

Pernille Harder continued the little charade, pretending to think about what Jessica just had suggested. 

”Well, I didn’t before, but now that you mention it…”the Dane wriggled her eyebrows playfully at Magda who blushed furiously by now. ”What do you say?”

Jessica, Stina and Janni laughed so hard at this point they all seemed to be having trouble breathing. 

”Give…us…give us the damn car key!” Stina got out still laughing. ”We’ll pick you up outside this terminal in 15 minutes.”

Pernille was digging desperately in her pockets for the car key. It didn’t help that Magda once again had started to distract her with her soft lips, placing tender, open mouth kisses on her cheek, down her jaw. 

”Ha! Found them!” she triumphantly announced and shoved the keys out into the empty airspace in front of her. She had a hard time to see what she actually did in this moment. 

”You two are disturbingly cute, you know that?” Janni stated. There was still a hint of laughter in her voice. She took the car keys distinctly. ”Don’t forget about the time now. 15 minutes.”

”Mm-mm” Pernille mumbled too busy kissing her girlfriend again and shushed them away with her now car-key-free-hand. 

The three women just shook their heads in unison and exchanged knowing looks before they left the couple alone who were already completely engulfed by each other once again. Clearly Magdalena Eriksson and Pernille Harder weren’t at all trustworthy right now. 

”I could rent us a room, you know” the Dane breathed out between kisses. ”We could stay here til tomorrow.”

”You’re crazy” Magda smiled in to the kiss which they were heavily engaged in. 

”The only thing I’m crazy about is you” Pernille stated firmly when she broke the kiss to get some well-needed air. ”I’ve missed you…if you haven’t noticed already.”

Magda found her girlfriend staring right in to her eyes, like if she seriously waited for an answer to her question about renting a room. The Swede was about to answer when she suddenly became distracted founding herself locking eyes with a small girl, who out of nowhere appeared next to them, observing them curiously. Pernille noticed Magda’s sudden distraction and turned her head around to see what had caught her girlfriend’s attention. 

”Hi” the Dane smiled when she saw the little girl who she immediately found totally adorable and very cute. 

”Hi” the girl replied loud and clear. ”Why are you hugging each other? Are you sad? My mom hugs me when I’m sad.”

The little girl’s sudden appearance with all her wise questions got Pernille’s full attention. She got down on her knees so that she became just as tall as the little girl, their eyes at the same height. Having this sight right in front of her, Magda felt a rush of warmth flowing through her heart. It was exactly these kind of things that got her love for the Dane to grow stronger every day. Pernille Harder was a great football player. But not too great or nonchalant to ignore a situation like this. Seeing the Dane interact with the little girl was just…beautiful. 

”No, We’re not sad. We just happen to like each other very much” the Dane explained. ”You know you can hug someone when you want them to know that you  _really _like them as well.”

”Oh” the girl replied looking shyly up at the Dane. 

”Lisa! There you are.” a woman approached them looking like she most likely was the little girl’s mom. ”I’m sorry” she turned to Magda and Pernille to apologize. 

”No, don’t apologize” Pernille smiled warmly. ”She’s adorable.”

The mom looked relieved. She then let her eyes wander back and forth between Pernille and Magda, eyeing their clothing. Her eyes told them that they were probably being recognized when the mom seemed to be putting two and two together. 

”Wait…you are Pernille Harder and Magdalena Eriksson, right?”

Magda let Pernille continue with the talking but nodded cautiously. She wasn’t at all as comfortable with these situations unlike her girlfriend who acted so natural and was so easy-going toward everyone around, strangers or not. 

”Yes, that is correct!” the Dane responded. 

”Oh! My other daughter is a big fan of you both. She cheers for Linkoping FC.” 

”She does? Is she here?” Pernille asked still smiling. ”We would love to meet her.”

”Are you sure? I mean, she would love that!”

”Go get her then!” the Dane told. 

The mom acted fast and took a hold of her younger daughter and ran around the corner. 

”I love you, you know that?” Magda said softly reaching out with her hand to cup the Dane’s cheek, who leaned in to meet the loving touch. ”You’re the most caring and loving person I know.”

Pernille didn’t get the chance to respond since the mom soon returned with a girl that looked like she was a few years older than the little one that gently had interrupted them earlier.The girl immediately became extremely shy when she saw the couple. 

”Hi” Pernille said very friendly. ”I’m Pernille and this is Magdalena” she pointed at her girlfriend who waved a small ”hi” with her hand. ”What’s your name?”

”I..I..my name is Sara” the girl said almost looking like she wanted to bury her face in her mom’s clothing. 

”Nice to meet you Sara. I have a present for you.” the Dane said and quickly dove in to her bag down on the floor to dig up one of her Danish jerseys. ”Wait here” she said and turned to one of the stores nearby to get a pen. 

”Here” Pernille said when she returned with the pen. ”For you.”

When the little girl’s face lit up out of total and genuine happiness as a result from Pernille’s gesture Magda put her hand on the Dane’s shoulder and squeezed it tenderly. 

”Thank you so much!” the girl’s mom said softly. 

”Thank you” Sara said with a big grin all over her face. ”Can you sign it as well?” she turned to Magda. 

”Of course I can!” Magda got the pen from Pernille and got down to put her name on the jersey next to Pernille’s signature. ”But you do know that I don’t score as much goals as she does, right?”

Sara nodded firmly. 

”I know! But in my team, I also play as a defender so I think you are very good anyways.”

Magda let out a laugh to the girl’s simple but pure explanation.

”You and your mom should come to Linkoping sometime to watch one of our games.”

”Mom, can we do that?”

The woman smiled lovingly at her daughter and put her hand around the little girl’s shoulders. 

”We might have to do that now. Again, thank you so much, both of you! We’re not going to bother you any longer. Have a nice afternoon!” 

The girl chatted happily to her mom as they walked away, clearly wanting her mom to help her put the jersey on. 

Pernille followed them with her eyes for a few seconds but was distracted when she felt her girlfriend's fingers playing with her hair in the back of her neck. 

”You sure do know how to play your cards right Harder…” Magda said. The Swede spoke with a husky voice before leaning in to kiss the Dane on the soft skin right next to her ear. 

”What do you mean?” Pernille questioned looking all confused.

”I might take you upon that offer with you getting us a room…”

The Dane’s face lit up in a wide grin, not unlike the little girl’s, when Pernille had given her the jersey before. Wrapping her arms around Magda’s neck she felt the Swede cupping her face using both hands. Half a second later, they were kissing intensely again. 

”Are you kidding me? Are you still doing that?” they heard Jessica’s doubting voice behind them. 

Both of them let out loud sighs and reluctantly they pulled apart. 

”Come on now you love birds! Let’s go home…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy!


	8. How did I find you?

”Is that a hickey you got there?”

Magda froze upon hearing Fridolina’s blunt question. She acted fast, covering her left collar bone quickly holding up a t-shirt. The Swede heard several of their teammates choke on their upcoming laughters and she felt herself blushing. She had totally forgot about Pernille's little invention the other night when the Dane had thought it had been a very good idea to mark her in that way.

”Uuumm…no?” Magda said sheepishly without even trying to convince. 

She turned her head to look at Fridolina and when the two friends eyes met they started to laugh together. Magda had missed Fridolina. The tall and strong midfielder had been out due to a smaller muscular injury and therefore been forced to turn down the latest national team camp. Usually it was the two of them that always shared rooms during those meetings and it always felt really empty in the absence of Fridolina’s presence. 

”Hey, do you have time for a coffee downtown with me?” Magda asked while she got dressed. 

”Yeah, sure!” Fridolina lit up, looking like she really appreciated Magdalena Eriksson’s question. 

”Great” Magda replied, standing up. ”I’m just going to tell a certain someone who probably is going to spend another hour or two in this place to work on her free kicks, that I’ll see her home later. I’ll be right back.” 

They have had morning training this Saturday after a couple of days rest in the aftermath of the international break. Next game in the Swedish League wasn’t until next weekend so Martin had been given them time to recover some extra since the last part of the season had a really busy game schedule. 

As usual, Magda and Pernille had devoted their recovery time to make up for valuable lost time apart. When the Swede walked out, back in to the arena, she thought back to yesterday evening’s events, when that hickey had been created…

_”No, stop that! That is gonna show!” Magda scrunched her face in total dissatisfaction when the Dane attached her mouth distinctly on to the skin right above her collar bone, devouring the Swede’s soft skin with her lips. _

_Pernille smiled wickedly, she had no intentions to stop, feeling very determined of what she was about to do. The sounds coming from the Dane’s mouth made it perfectly clear what the consequences of her actions would be. _

_”There” she announced _proudly_, looking down at the already showing love bite on Magda’s skin. _

_”Why did you do that?” the Swede complained loudly, sounding like a small child. _

_”Because you are mine” Pernille replied like it was the most natural thing in the world. _

_Magda did her best to look angry about what her girlfriend just had one to her. It didn’t go that well. The Dane’s smile was bright and wide and there was no way Magda could even be the slightest angry at Pernille when she looked at her like that. Magda was laying on her back in their couch where they had ended up, engaged in to a heavy make out session which had started in the kitchen, where she had prepared for dinner. _

_”What am I gonna do with you?” the Swede smiled, brushing one of her finger’s over Pernille’s lips which got the Dane to playfully pretend that she was going to bite her finger tip. _

_”I’ve got an idea” Pernille breathed in to her girlfriend’s ear, hovering down and started to kiss her neck again._

_Magda threw her head back in delight, offering all of herself once again to the Dane…dinner already forgotten. _

When Magda came out back in to the arena again, she saw her girlfriend in full swing,practicing on her free kicks coached by Martin with relevant help from their first goal keeper. She waited patiently until the Dane had kicked one of the footballs in a perfect bow that of course ended up in to the net behind the keeper.

”Hey!” she shouted from the sideline. ”Me and Fridolina are taking a walk downtown for coffee. Call me when you are done here, OK?”

Pernille turned toward the sideline upon hearing her girlfriend’s voice and did a thumbs up showing the Swede that she had gotten the message. 

Magda smiled to herself and started to walk back to meet up with Fridolina. It wasn’t unusual for the Dane to stay after training and continue to work on something she felt she could improve. And when it came to Pernille Harder and her football skills, there was always something that could be improved according to herself. 

”Are you done?” Magda asked when she entered the locker room again, which now was empty except for Fridolina who was waiting for her.

”Yes, let’s go!”

________________________________________________________________________

”So” Fridolina started with some hesitation and stirred the spoon in her coffee to spread the milk evenly. ”Considering that hickey, I assume that everything is back to normal between you and Pernille again?”

First Magda felt surprised that Fridolina asked her that question but then she realized that it had been some time since the two of them had talked in private. The guilty conscience hit her and she mentally beat herself up for a short moment. 

”You could say that yeah” she said, her cheeks turning somewhat rosy. 

”I’m glad to hear that” Fridolina offered her friend a smile, sipping at her coffee. ”We haven’t talked in a while so I was just wondering."

”I know and I’m really sorry” Magda apologized, her face covered in guilt. ”It’s just that…you know…me and Pernille…it’s been so much…and…”

”Magda!” Fridolina cut her off with a laugh. ”You don’t have to explain. I understand.”

Magda exhaled silently and relaxed back in her seat. She made extra sure of the fact to give Fridolina her full attention right now. 

”We all have a lot on our minds about our future these days” her friend continued. ”Including myself. It’s not as easy as one might think to be a pro footballer.”

Magda laughed. 

”Amen to that!”

Fridolina’s facial expression turned thoughtful. 

”It feels like it wasn’t that long ago, I moved here. And just like that it’s already been 3 years. When you think about it like that, time flies.”

”It sure does” Magda spoke low. ”I already grieve the fact that we will probably split up next year. These years have been really great. Imagine if we can end this by winning the league. Who would have thought that when we first signed with Linkoping?” 

Fridolina smiled warmly. 

”You are one of my best friends. I just want you to know that. Whatever happens in the future I will always remember this time in my life.”

”Oh Frido!” Magda let out, clearly touched by her friends words. ”You are one of my best friends to. I’m really glad that you and I have met!”

”Time for a hug?” Fridolina asked, raising one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows. 

Magda nodded eagerly in response and the two friends exchanged a warm embrace. After that emotional moment between them they drank their coffee while chatting some valuable quality time away. Fridolina let Magda know what options she had for the next season and what her boyfriend thought about it. Magda told Fridolina that her and Pernille had decided to go out on a date this upcoming evening and that she felt completely newly-in-love with the Dane all over again in the aftermath of everything that had been going on these past weeks. 

”I’ve missed this” Magda admitted, putting her hand on Fridolina’s arm, squeezing it gently. ”Can we just make a promise to do this more often until you leave Linkoping?”

”Absolutely!” Fridolina responded softly, putting her hand over Magda’s in return of the friendly gesture. 

They were interrupted in their conversation when Magda’s phone buzzed in her pocket. 

”I wonder how many different versions of free kicks she has practiced today”? Magda wondered out loud, exchanging meaningful looks with Fridolina when she saw who the caller was. ”Hello you…” she answered in to the phone. ”Are you at home?”

”Yeah” the Dane told and Magda could hear her girlfriend taking a bite of something that sounded like an apple. 

”OK, I’m just going to run an errand and then I’m coming home.” Magda announced. 

”What are you going to do?” Pernille asked curiously, still chewing thoughtfully at her apple, something in Magda’s voice telling her that something was going on. 

”That’s for me to know and for you to find out…” the Swede replied playfully. 

”You’re mean” the Dane pouted. 

Magda laughed at her girlfriend’s attempt to reveal her. 

”Yeah, let’s see if you still think I’m mean tonight…the Swede said in a low voice. ”I’ll see you later. And I hope you plan to eat something more than one apple after that workout” she ended warningly.

Pernille sighed heavily in to the phone. 

”I will, I promise. Now, hurry home to me…”

Magda pressed the end-call-button on her phone’s display and saw Fridolina’s amused expression. 

”What are you up to? If its something that involves shopping I will sign up as your voluntary advice on taste.” 

”Deal!” Magda responded heartily and got up from the chair she had been sitting on. ”Let’s go!”

________________________________________________________________________

”Get out!” Magda warned her a way too curious girlfriend who once again tried to enter their bedroom in desperate attempts to figure out what it was that Magda was up to. ”I told you. You can’t see it yet.” 

She just laughed when she heard the Dane groan, loudly demonstrating her dissatisfaction behind the door.

”Look at it this way” she told through the door. ”It will be just like opening a present later…”

”If you continue to tease me like this, we will not even come out the door tonight you know…I’m gonna jump you the minute you come out here…”

”Yeah, I love you too, you know” the Swede replied amusedly. ”You’re such a romantic…”

”Sorry” Pernille said sheepishly through the door. ”Have I ever told you how beautiful you are? I _loooove _you.”

The Swede giggled, letting her girlfriend know she was off the hook. 

Fixing the last details Magda eyed herself in the mirror one last time. She hadn’t over done it. Her newly washed hair fell softly down her shoulders, a light make up covering her face and she ended the whole thing with putting on some lip gloss. A pair of neat suit pants, colored in black together with a white, slightly tighter knitted t-shirt with longer arms. Feeling satisfied with her look she turned to open the door. The first glimpse of the Dane waiting outside almost caused Magda to nearly lose her breath. The Swede almost lost all her senses when she saw her girlfriend’s outfit. The Dane was wearing all black. That black leather jacket that she knew Magda loved, a black t-shirt and a pair of tight, black jeans. Her blonde hair was all let out, slightly messy, like she had just pulled her fingers through it. And then there was the lipstick. The deep red one that always got Magdalena Eriksson aching to kiss Pernille Harder, this time no exception…

”I wonder who’s the mean one now?” Magda swallowed hard, licking her lips to regain control of herself. 

Her girlfriend’s facial expression told her that the Dane was pretty pleased with the way she had reacted walking through the door.

Pernille closed the distance between them in two big steps. 

”You look really pretty” she said softly, cupping Magda’s face tenderly. 

”So do you” the Swede tilted her head, leaning in to the Dane’s soft touch while smiling lovingly. ”We better leave because otherwise I will ruin your lipstick…” 

It was now Pernille’s turn to laugh.

”It was kind of the point…”

________________________________________________________________________

For this evening they had chosen a small tapas restaurant where they had been many times before. Especially in the beginning of their relationship as a couple. The restaurant only offered a few tables and it was a bit narrow but the couple had always found the restaurant to be quite cozy. Besides that the food was heavenly good it was also the perfect place if one wanted to talk without being disturbed for a few hours while eating a nice dinner. One of the best things about being an pro athlete according to Pernille Harder was the fact that you could eat practically whatever you wanted without thinking about it further. 

”Mm-mm-mm!” the Dane devoured every single bite of the food, obviously very happy with the tapas they had ordered from the menu. 

”I’ll take it that you are happy with what you’re eating” Magda giggled, watching her girlfriend with amusement. 

Pernille nodded eagerly while she chewed. She took an olive, brought it to her lips and almost sucked it into her mouth with a plopping sound, wriggling her eyebrows at the Swede. 

”I’m gonna miss this.”

The Dane froze upon hearing Magda’s words. It didn’t sounded neither sad or accusingly. It was just a simple establishment to what they both knew soon was inevitable and what was about to come in a few months. 

”I know.” Pernille finished chewing and swallowed the rest of her olive. ”I’m gonna miss this too. Very much.” She put her hand over Magda’s and just held it steady. 

”It feels so surreal you know.” Magda leaned in over the table. ”I can't believe we won't be living together soon…it feels like it was just yesterday that we moved in together…”

”The best two years of my life” Pernille said and stared straight into Magda’s eyes. ”I still can’t believe that I’ve found someone like you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I need you to understand that. Do you?”

”I do” the Swede offered her girlfriend a small smile. ”And I need you to know that I _never _ever want you to feel guilty about this. I meant what I said, I’m _so _proud of you. I’m proud of what we have and what we have built up together. I love being yours. I will never get tired of that feeling.”

”Me neither” the Dane took both Magdalena Eriksson's hands in her own and laced their fingers together. ”But I need for you to start understanding how good _you _are. You are good for me. Too good I think. You’re an amazing football player and I believe in you. I believe in you as much as I believe in us. I know that you are the person I want to spend the rest of my life with and it sucks, badly, that we are going to have to spend time apart. But what I also know, is that we are going to make this work and I promise you that I will do whatever it takes.”

”You have to stop being so perfect and say the right things all the time because I'll start crying otherwise” the Swede whispered, her voice trembling while she swallowed the tears that threatened to flood in her eyes. 

Pernille brought her hands to her cheeks, using her thumbs, gently brushing her tears away. ”You know I hate it when you cry” she whispered softly. 

”I’m sorry.”

”Don’t be.”

For what seemed like an eternity they just sat there, staring in to each other’s eyes. Pernille felt both sadness and relief. She was sad about the obvious part, that they soon would be parted, both physically and geographically but also about the fact that they weren’t going to play football together any longer as well. The relief she felt was coming from the talk they just had. Finally it felt like everything was out. Talking about it was hard but necessary for both of them to spill their hearts out. They had never been having trouble with their communication before and the Dane did not want such problems to cause problems at this stage. In the near future it would be very important for them to have good communications. 

”I want you to take me home.” Magda told, her voice still a bit shaky.

Pernille nodded her response before calling the waiter, asking for the check. She pulled up her credit card, paying for the dinner quickly, before they gathered their things and walked out. 

”You know, in the beginning, when we were dating, and I got to go home with you at nights, every morning I used to pinch myself when I woke up next to you” Magda confessed while they walked through the city centre of Linkoping. ”Just to make sure that I wasn’t dreaming. I still do, every now and then.”

”What? Why?” Pernille asked, lacing their fingers together so that they walked hand in hand on their way home. 

”You were like a rock star. Untouchable in some way.” Magda tried to explain. 

”Well, you could say that I was  _untouched _ in some ways” the Dane joked and laughed softly. 

The Swede burst in to laughter at her girlfriend’s comment.

”It’s true!” Pernille commented, glad to hear her girlfriend laugh again. It was her favorite sound coming from Magdalena Eriksson…or the second best sound when she thought about it. ”Not anymore though” she mumbled while stopping in to a street corner to bring the Swede in for a kiss. 

It was a soft and slow but yet deep kiss. 

”I love kissing you” Magda breathed, grabbing a small piece of the Dane’s black t-shirt with her hand to reassure that the distance between them didn’t grow more than necessary.

”Good” Pernille responded and broke the kiss for a second, turning them around so the Swede had her back against the brick wall behind them. ”Because I love kissing you too. You taste so _damn_ good…” she dove in and caught Magda’s lips once again with her own, and let the slow, deep kissing continue. 

She felt the tip of the Swede’s tongue forcing her lips to part and when her own tongue came in contact with her girlfriend’s she sighed with pleasure at the familiar feeling. Yet, the Dane wasn’t ready to fasten things up. Tonight wasn’t about just sex. Although she could feel that Magda was starting to get a little frustrated with her. 

”Weren’t you going to take me home?” she whined when the Dane abruptly broke the kiss. 

”Always so impatient” Pernille smiled. ”Come on then…”

________________________________________________________________________

When they returned back home to their apartment, Magda had been  expecting her girlfriend to jump her immediately but that didn’t happen. Instead, it looked like the Dane, started to check something on her phone, which first got Magda really confused and then a little irritated. But soon, soft music started to play in the speakers belonging to the sound system Pernille had invested in right after they had moved in together. When the Dane offered her one of her hand’s she found herself being a bit taken aback but of course she accepted Pernille's offer, reaching out for her girlfriend's hand. The Dane laced their fingers together and then she brought Magda close to her. 

”Dance with me” Pernille whispered softly in to her ear. 

The song was an acoustic version and Magda soon recognized it and lost herself in the lyrics just like she lost herself in to Pernille Harder’s warm embrace as they slow danced around their living room. 

_We will be a work of art_

_A monument in every park_

_You'll love me forever_

_At least another thousand years_

_Millenniums without a tear_

_'Cause we'll be together_

_How did I find you?_

_You're upside down, I'm inside out_

_We're opposite, crazy but we just make sense_

_You're out of sight, I fall behind_

_We're opposite, crazy but we just make sense_

_You'll go down in history_

_No one else made sense of me_

_You know me by heart_

_We're legends for the rest of time_

_Your name resting next to mine_

_Never apart_

_How did I find you?_

Both of them buried their faces in to each other’s shoulders, moving around slowly. Magda felt goose bumps invade her skin when the Dane’s hot breaths hit her skin when Pernille sang along softly with the chorus in to her ear… _”How did I find you?”_

And somewhere, in the middle of the song, their lips re-connected. They let the tempo of the song set the pace. Magda pushed the Dane’s leather jacket off of her shoulders, letting it drop to the floor. Pernille smiled in to the kiss and sighed with pleasure when the Swede gently took a hold of her upper arms, fingering the muscles of her triceps. 

”You like what you feel?” she teased. ”I put on some extra weight in the gym this morning…for you.”

Magda bit her lower lip while letting her fingers trail an invisible pattern around her girlfriend’s upper arms. 

”Mm-mm!” she nodded. 

”Good” the Dane whispered softly. 

Pernille let her hands slip down the Swede’s back, stopping her movements at the waistband of her pants and before Magda had the time to react further, the Dane had unbuttoned them. 

”Oh God!” Magda gasped when she felt two strong hands slipping inside the waistband of her pants from behind, a little lower this time. 

”Do I…Do I…get to open my present now?” Pernille asked while trying to regain her breathing steady in control, patiently waiting for the Swede’s permission.

”I..I..think…you better do that…” Magda managed to get out, heavily breathing. 

The Swede had to grip her girlfriend’s shoulder to keep her balance and by the strength in her grip, Pernille could tell that Magda urged her to go on. The Dane pulled her hands back out from her pants. An almost audible whine slipped from the Swede’s mouth as a result of the lost contact. It got Pernille to act faster and she took a firm grip of the hem of her girlfriend’s white t-shirt, quickly shoving it off of her. It felt almost electric and the tension in the room rose further while she fixed her eyes on the matching underwear Magda was wearing.

”Do you like it?” the Swede wondered, smiling when she saw the clear appreciation covering the Dane’s face. 

”Like it? I _love _it!” 

Magda couldn’t help but giggle at her girlfriend’s facial expression. The giggle didn’t last for long though. The deadly seriousness in the situation returned with an indescribable force when Pernille slightly pushed her away, just enough to let her gaze wander hungrily over Magda’s body, starting at the top finishing at the bottom. 

”And I love _you._” the Dane told, hooking her fingers in to the waistband of Magda’s pants which now hung lose at her hip bone, pulling the Swede close again. ”I want you.” 

This time it wasn’t a slow kiss. It was hot…intense…dirty. They both moaned loudly when their tongues crashed together. 

”God, we need to get this off of you” Magda panted, working frantically to free Pernille from her clothing. 

”Be my guest” the Dane whispered fiercely, urging her girlfriend to work faster. 

What seemed like just a second later she saw her black t-shirt being thrown away across the room and before she had the time to say or do anything Pernille felt herself being lifted off of the floor. Obviously Magda had also been lifting extra weights in the gym to work on her arm muscles. She placed the Dane over her shoulder with such ease causing Pernille to laugh out loud. 

”I didn’t see that one coming!” she squeaked, still laughing as Magda hurried into the bedroom and almost threw her down on the bed. 

Pernille sat on the bed, hands behind her back, leaning in to her own body-weight with her head slightly tilted as she watched her girlfriend cautiously. Magda pushed her own pants down to her feet kicking them off, then she grabbed the Dane’s pants to pull them off before she threw them in to the air behind her. When her mission was completed, she climbed on to the bed herself, hovering over Pernille. 

”Oh baby, there’s so much you haven’t seen coming yet…”


	9. We are so cheesy!

Even though it should have been quite the opposite, Pernille Harder woke up the next day feeling extremely energized. The Dane smiled at the vision her eyes was met with when she opened them this Sunday morning. Her girlfriend, who still slept soundly, lay with her back towards her. The cover had slipped down and had found its perfect place at the Swede's hip, leaving her back completely bare. The outlines of Magdalena Eriksson’s body left Pernille completely hypnotized for several minutes.Yes, it sure was a _very _good morning in so many ways…Her first thought, however, was to let Magda sleep, but of course she couldn’t restrain herself for any length of time. The Dane turned her body gently, facing the Swede’s bare back, reaching out with her hand to touch that soft skin. ”Just for a one second or two” Pernille thought to herself, her palm moving tenderly across Magda's back, which got the Swede stir in her sleep. 

The Dane smiled to herself, scooting her body closer only to let out a silent sigh of pleasure when her own bare skin came into contact with her girlfriend's, when she finally got close enough to spoon her. 

”Mmmm…” the Swede moaned softly in her sleepy condition when she felt two soft hands touching her, one at her hip, the other one pushing her hair away to make room for the Dane’s lips at her neck. 

”Mmmm…good morning” Pernille whispered between the hot open-mouth-kisses she was attacking Magda’s neck with. 

The Swede didn’t answer verbally, instead she turned her head just enough so that their lips could connect in a proper ”good-morning-kiss”. The Dane took a gentle hold of Magda’s shoulder, forcing her to turn fully towards her, ending up on top of Pernille, who took the bed’s cover with her only to cover them up. 

”Good morning” Magda said, her morning voice raspier than usual. 

The Swede leaned her cheek against her girlfriend’s chest. Pernille wrapped her arms around her and kissed the top of her head, making sure to take the opportunity to inhale the scent of a newly-waken Magda. 

”I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

The Swede lifted her head to give Pernille a doubtful look.

”You sooo did!” she smiled before settling down again at the Dane’s chest, to continue their morning ritual of cuddling. ”I don’t mind though. I love being woken up by you…”

”And I love waking you up…” Pernille smirked.

Magda giggled in to the Dane’s skin. 

”And I love waking up next to you…”

”God, we are  _so _cheesy!” 

Both of them bursted in to laughter at the realization of how true that statement really was. 

”So not cool at all…” Magda stated firmly, resting her chin against the Dane’s shoulder, still safely wrapped up in her girlfriend’s warm embrace. 

For several minutes they just lay there, in a comfortable silence, both of them enjoying the fact that they had no time to keep track of or anything else planned on this day for that matter. As footballers, they were not exactly spoiled with free days like these during season. 

”What do you want to do today?” Pernille asked breaking the silence. 

”Mmm…” Magda thought before answering. ”We really should go to the grocery store. I thought I could cook a few dishes tonight so we don’t have to care about cooking in the evenings this week.”

”We could do that” the Dane nodded. ”Also, there is the Manchester derby in Premier League on TV later. I would love to see that. But first, maybe we can take a walk downtown so I can treat you with a late breakfast or brunch in some place nice?

The Swede nodded eagerly and turned to get up. 

”No, no, no…where do you think you are going?” Pernille questioned, grabbing her arm pulling her back in their bed. 

Magda’s facial expression turned in to confusion. 

”You just said that we were walking downtown for breakfast so I thought…”

”I said _late _breakfast or brunch” the Dane cut her off. ”You can’t leave this bed yet…” she smirked. 

”Oooh” the Swede said sheepishly. 

Pernille pushed her girlfriend lightly so she landed on her back across the bed, the Dane quickly followed, hovering over her. 

”You didn’t think I woke you up _just _to talk with you, right?” she joked, diving in to kiss Magda’s lips.

She felt the Swede spreading her legs, hooking one of her feet around her calf. The Dane quickly settled in, feeling the instant heat radiating from her girlfriend’s body. The kiss deepened quickly when Magda’s tongue demanded an immediate entrance to her mouth. 

”Oh…mmm!” the Swede whimpered when she felt her girlfriend’s hands on her, one in a steady grip to her left thigh and the other one cupping her face firmly. 

”You still want to get up?” Pernille asked, breaking the kiss for a few seconds, breathing heavily in to Magda’s mouth.

”God, no! And don’t you _dare _stop doing what you are doing right now…”

”I wouldn’t dream of it” the Dane smiled and returned to her task…

________________________________________________________________________

”Yes, mom, I will ask her that I promise…”

Pernille was laying on her stomach in their couch, talking in the phone with her mom. They usually tried to talk every Sunday. 

”No, I haven’t forgot about it…It’s just been a lot to think about lately.” the Dane answered her mom.

In the corner of her eye Pernille saw Magda smile to herself upon hearing parts of her conversation with her mom. The Swede was in full swing, cooking in their kitchen. Magda moved smoothly between the stove and the kitchen counter, working fast. The Dane noticed how she suddenly stopped listen to what her mom said, only to get caught with the look of her cooking girlfriend, who was dressed in a black tank top and a pair of grey, soft shorts. The Swede's hair was still damp from the shower she had taken right before she had started her mission with cooking food for the up-coming week. Pernille let her eyes wander up and down Magdalena Eriksson’s working body while hearing her mom go on and on about something that had happened at her job earlier this week when a close friend of the family had come in and asked her if Pernille’s future plans had been decided yet. 

”So, I told him nothing is decided yet and that your season in Sweden isn’t even over yet.” her mom finished her story. 

The Dane jerked when she realized that her mother had finished the story. She shook her head to clear her foggy mind, that was all wrapped in thoughts that included mental pictures of how her girlfriend looked without the clothes she was wearing. 

”Yeah…that’s great mom.” she heard for herself how absent she sounded. 

”What’s up with you? Is there something wrong?” her mom asked, sounding worried. 

”No!” Pernille hurried to say. ”I’m sorry, I’m just tired.” she lied. ”But I promise, I will ask Magda about that thing you said earlier.”

”Are you two okay?” her mom wondered. ”I mean, considering…”

”Yes, mom” Pernille cut her off without sounding unpleasant. ”We are fine.” More than fine, she thought to herself. ”We are in control. I promise.”

”This can’t be easy for her” her mom stated. 

The Dane sighed. She decided to get up from the couch and move away to keep Magda from hearing. 

”It’s not easy for me neither mom” she spoke low. ”But we are as good as one can be in this situation. We’ve talked about it and we will continue to talk about it as much as needed. I’m not going to let this ruins things with her. I love her.”

Her mom sighed. 

”I’m glad that we raised you to be so wise.”

Pernille laughed at her mom’s words. 

”I guess I should be saying thank you since it’s all because of you and dad and what you have taught me about life.”

”We love you and we just want you to be happy, honey.”

”I know. I love you too. And I am happy.”

”Good” her mom said lovingly. ”Now, take care of yourselves and we’ll see you next weekend then.*

”You too mom. Tell dad I said hi.”

The Dane pressed the display to end the call and turned back to the living room. 

”OK, you have to taste this” Magda said, holding up a spoon in front of her. ”I’m not sure if I did it right…” 

Pernille couldn’t help but smile to her girlfriend’s wish. It was always like that when the Swede cooked. She never followed a recipe to 100% but still it always ended up to be heavenly good. This time no exception. 

”Have you ever failed in the kitchen?” the Dane asked only to empty the spoon with her mouth. 

Magda giggled, looking very pleased with herself. 

”So, was it good?”

”The best” the Dane confirmed, leaning in to kiss her girlfriend’s cheek. ”Look, I’ve been meaning to ask you something I totally have forgotten about.”

The Swede raised one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows, looking questingly at Pernille. 

”What?”

”But first I have to tell you, or else I will forget, that mom and dad are coming here next weekend. They did book a hotel room and they will stay from Friday to Sunday.”

”Oh, that’s great!” Magda exclaimed, happily, while turning to the kitchen counter again. ”And whats the other thing?”

”I want you to come to Denmark to celebrate Christmas with me when we get back from Sri Lanka.”

The Swede froze and stopped her movements around their kitchen. For the two years they had been together they had always travelled abroad during the winter break to get some alone-quality-time together. Last winter they had been to Mexico. But they had never celebrated Christmas together since both of their families were keen on having them home in that time of the year. 

”I mean, if you want to?” the Dane asked somewhat hesitant. ”Cause if you don’t that is fine, I just..”

Magda dropped the spoon on to the counter and turned around, her face covered in a small smile. 

”Since when do I don’t want to spend time with you? she took a step closer to the Dane and took both Pernille’s hands in her own. ”Of course I want to.”

She leaned forward and let her lips gently meet the Dane’s. 

”Have I ever told you that I love you?” Pernille tilted her head slightly and offered her girlfriend a bright smile.

”Hmm…” the Swede pretended to think. ”Not in the last hour or so…”

The Dane grabbed a small piece of the tank top Magda wore, pulling her closer, hugging her deeply. 

”Well, I do.” Pernille whispered softly in to her girlfriend’s ear. ”I love you.”

”I will never get tired of hearing you say that” Magda mumbled, hugging her girlfriend tightly in return. 

”And I will never get tired of saying it.”

A moment of silence followed. 

”What was it that you said this morning? Magda frowned and leaned back to meet Pernille’s eyes. ”Something about us being _so _cheesy?”

It didn’t fail this time either. They laughed in unison for the second time this day to the fact that they were so screwed…

________________________________________________________________________

”Good training everyone” Martin Sjogren said when he peaked his head in to the kitchen area behind the locker rooms after one of their training sessions later that week. 

”Hey Magda” he walked up to the defender. ”Where is Pernille? I meant to talk to her before I left"

”Oh, I think she’s on the phone” Magda informed and pointed toward the physiotherapist's treatment room, in which her girlfriend had gone in to talk in private. 

”Well, it wasn’t anything too important. Tell her that I left her match plan with tactics for tomorrow’s game at my desk. There is a new thing I would want her to try.”

”I’ll tell her” the defender promised. ”I’ll see you tomorrow.”

”Great!” Martin said and headed toward the door. ”See you tomorrow!” 

”Is there anyone that is up for a movie or something tonight?” Jessica asked and eyed her teammates in the room. ”Magda? What are you and Pernille up to tonight? Or do we even dare to ask?”

”Ha. Ha” Magda shook her head at Jessica’s try to tease. ”Sorry to disappoint you but Pernille’s parents are coming in a couple of hours so we’re busy I’m afraid.” 

”Oh, OK. Then you’re out.” Jessica turned to Fridolina, Stina, Kristine, Claudia and Tove. ”What about you guys? Dinner and a movie?”

Magda could hear her teammates chatting, talking about what they were gonna eat and what movie they would see. 

”Hey, can we talk?” 

She jumped in her seat when Pernille came from what seemed to be out of nowhere and put her hand on girlfriend’s shoulder. 

”Sure” Magda got up. ”Can we talk on our way home? I just…I’m tired and its getting very loud in here” she continued and shot her teammates a meaningful look. 

The Dane nodded as an answer and shouted a quick ”good bye, we’re out of here and we’ll see you tomorrow” to the rest of team before they left. 

”Damn it!” 

”What?” Pernille frowned upon hearing her girlfriend’s sudden irritation. 

”I totally forgot. Martin wanted you to take some papers from his desk. Match plan and individual tactics for you til tomorrow.”

”Don’t worry about it.” the Dane smiled. ”I’ll be right back.”

Magda watched her girlfriend when she jogged back with light steps to get the papers. She knew that it had been Klaus Granlund that had called Pernille earlier. And something told her that the talk they were about to have was going to have a huge impact of their future. Strangely enough Magda felt calm about it. The big question now was: what country would her girlfriend be living in next season? The Swede knew that Pernille secretly hoped for it to be Germany. 

”There!” the Dane announced, coming back with the papers. ”Let’s go. Do you want me to drive?”

Magda nodded thoughtfully and waited patiently for her girlfriend to unlock the car. She heard the clicking sound from the car keys and opened the door to the passenger seat side. 

”So…” the Dane started hesitantly when she had closed the door, turning her head at Magda. 

”Just say it” the Swede said softly. 

”They are offering me a two year contract. Vfl Wolfsburg.”

It turned deadly silent in the car. Neither of them saying a word. Magda closed her eyes slowly, trying to keep her breathing in control. Hell, she wasn’t just trying to keep her breathing in control. She was trying to control _all _of herself. The Swede felt Pernille’s eyes on her. She turned to face the Dane, offering her a small smile. Her girlfriend gently glanced at her, her eyes all questioning to what her reaction would be. The Dane still didn’t say anything but she let her hand slip down between them, tenderly taking her girlfriend’s hand in to her own, lacing their fingers together. 

”It’s strange.” the Swede whispered softly breaking the silence. ”I feel both happy and sad at the same time."

”I know what you mean” Pernille said thoughtfully. ”I don't know if I've understood it yet.”

”But you do understand that the happy thing I’m feeling is for you?” Magda questioned, gently squeezing the Dane’s hand. ”I am happy for you. I can’t believe that my rock star girlfriend is going to play in Bundesliga next season…”

Pernille turned around in her seat. 

”I haven’t signed the contract yet” she smiled. ”That’s another thing, they want me to come there in the end of November to meet them and to sign. And I want you to come with me then.”

”Mm-mm” the Swede nodded. ”Of course…I will.” Magda was still a bit overwhelmed by the news even though she had been prepared. Or at least she had thought she’d been prepared. 

The Dane still wasn’t sure that Magda was feeling OK with this and when she glanced at her girlfriend she saw a somewhat troubled face. It was as if she felt that Pernille was hesitant about her reaction so she leaned in to her girlfriend and kissed her deeply on the lips. The Dane relaxed and made sure to put some extra effort in to kiss. She leaned forward, framing Magdalena Eriksson’s face with both her hands as the Swede seemed to copy her moves, moving her upper body toward the driver’s seat. Even though it was not their intentions from the beginning, the kiss deepened more than they imagined it to. 

”God!” Pernille grunted in to the kiss. ”Why can’t I ever just kiss you without wanting you naked at once?”

”Is that a bad thing?” Magda wondered, trying to catch her breath, before she resumed to the make out session with heavy intensity. ”I love that you feel that way.”

”And I love to feel that way, don’t get me wrong…” the Dane broke the kiss and tried to get in control of her own breathing. 

”Then why do you stop?” the Swede smirked, still breathing heavily. 

”Because I’m a grown up for heaven’s sake!” Pernille said, raising her eyebrows at her girlfriend. ”We can’t…We can’t do this here!”

”Say’s who?” Magda teased, leaning in again and put her hand high up the Dane’s thigh. A little too high up…

”Me! I’m saying that!”

”Why don’t you start the car then?” 

The Swede saw her girlfriend close her eyes, swallowing hard. She still had her hand up on Pernille’s thigh. 

”You are mean…” the Dane managed to get out. 

”I know…” Magda smiled wickedly. ”Maybe you should to take me home and...punish me?”

”What has gotten in to you?” Pernille couldn’t even see straight anymore. 

”Nothing…” the Swede leaned in again, gently nibbling her ear. ”At least not…yet.”

”OK, get away from me now! You just sit there and be good all the way home now.” the Dane scolded. ”You are not allowed to speak or move until we're at home. Do you get it?”

Magda giggled in delight.

”I _love _when you go all bossy on me…”

”Ey! What did I just say? You just sit there, be cute and nice…and last but not least…stay quiet!”

The Dane started the car, swallowed hard and turned one last time to her girlfriend that at least for the moment looked like she was going to apply to her commands.

”Can I say something?” the Swede asked. 

”No!” 

”But..I”

”No, shut up!”

”You’re not mad at me, are you?” Magda asked suddenly sounding a little worried. 

The Dane once again looked at her girlfriend. 

”Mad?”

”I mean…I didn’t mean to…I just want…” Magda stuttered. 

”You are making me crazy. In a good-way-crazy but also inappropriate-crazy…” Pernille tried to explain. ”And if you don’t want us to get in a car accident on our way home, you should just do as tell you. Just sit there, keep those delicate hands to yourself, don’t speak with that sexy raspy voice of yours, don’t look at me with those beautiful eyes…just..just… please?”

”I can do that.” Magda answered obediently and glanced at her girlfriend. ”I promise. But if you don’t drive from here as in right now…I might break my promise.”

”You’re hopeless!” the Dane groaned and started to drive the car. 

”But you love me anyway…” the Swede smiled happily. 

”Be quiet!” 

And without breaking any laws regarding speed Pernille drove as fast as she could back home to their apartment…


	10. I’m sorry for…being an idiot

”Listen…” the Dane started, somewhat hesitant, while she pulled a sweater over her head. ”Can we just keep this to ourselves for a while?”

Magda, who just came out from the shower, wrapped up in a towel, frowned.

”What do you mean? You’re not gonna tell your parents?

”No.”

The Swede felt totally confused. This wasn’t the Pernille Harder she knew. The Dane usually talked to her parents about everything. Especially if it involved her football carrier. 

”Are you gonna tell me why?” Magda asked cautiously, eyeing her girlfriend from across their bedroom. 

Not entirely unexpectedly, their interaction in the car earlier had ended with them having ended up between the sheets in their bed when they had returned home.

Magda couldn’t help, but feel pretty much, like a complete sex maniac at the moment. She almost didn’t recognize herself. There was just something about this whole situation that made it feel so important to be as close as possible. The feeling inside of her, when the Dane craved and wanted her this much was completely indescribable. It somehow felt that, that was the only thing that separated her from everyone else around them, that also wanted something from Pernille Harder at the moment. She had something and was given things, that nobody else around couldn’t have. Magda had tried to figure out for herself what it was that got her to feel all these things but in the end she had given up. She was mentally exhausted but it didn’t seem to matter, because every time they kissed, every time they touched, hugged or just lost themselves in to each other’s eyes, it was like everything and every one else just disappeared. When they made love, it felt like nothing else mattered because when they did, Magda’s mind was put to rest.

”You told me a few weeks ago, that you felt like you were sharing me with the whole world” Pernille spoke softly, approaching her from behind, moving slowly through the room. 

The Dane didn’t wait for her girlfriend to respond. Instead she closed the last distance between them, reaching out with her hand to touch Magda’s bare shoulder. The shoulder was covered in water drops that found its way down from the Swede’s the still wet, newly showered hair. Pernille slid her index finger gently between the drops of water on her girlfriend's bare skin. The movement of the fingertip followed an invisible pattern and the touch got Magda to both to shiver ever so slightly and to close her eyes where she stood in front of the mirror, that hung above a drawer in their bedroom. When she opened her eyes slowly, she had a blurry vision of the Dane in the mirror, who now appeared to be dangerously close behind her. 

”I want to share this with just you, for a while.” Pernille whispered and leaned in to place atender kiss on to Magda’s shoulder, which got the Swede to close her eyes again. 

”Look at me” the Dane urged, leaning her chin against Magda's shoulder. 

Magda bit her lower lip and opened her eyes slowly again, eyeing Pernille intently in the mirror in front of them. 

”For a little while, I just want it to be you…and me, who knows about this.” the Dane continued to explain. ”And not the whole world.”

The Swede felt her girlfriend playing with her fingers on the edge of the towel that still was wrapped around her. Magda immediately got distracted. Both by her girlfriend's proximity but also by what she had told her as an explanation to her earlier question.

”If that is OK with you?”

Magda nodded. A silent answer. Pernille also stayed quiet but let her hands slide down Magda's arms down to her hands, taking a gentle hold of them. The Swede then saw her own hands moving, with a little help from her girlfriend, up on the drawer in front of them. The Dane settled both of Magda’s hands, up on the furniture. 

”No, no…” Pernille whispered urgently. ”Open your eyes.”

Magda swallowed hard. She must have closed her eyes again but been completely unaware of it. 

”Open them. Look at me.”

The Swede opened her eyes, only to find that the temperature between them had risen again. The Dane once again let her hands slid down Magda’s arms, only this time she used her finger tips, scraping her nails slightly, against her girlfriend’s skin. Pernille could literally see the goose bumps that covered Magda’s arms as a result from her action this time. She stopped her movements down at her girlfriend’s wrists, where she coveredthe Swede’s hands gently with her palms. 

”Good girl” she whispered, using the tip of her nose letting it move up and down her girlfriend's ear in a very loving motion. 

”A-a-m I…Am..I going to have to shower again? Magda whispered almost inaudible, feeling her body giving in once again in favor to the Dane’s touches. 

She saw signs of a smile playing in the corners of Pernille’s mouth in the mirror, their eyes staring deeply in to one another. 

”Yeah…I think you might have to do that…” the Dane whispered straight in to her ear before she undid the wrapped towel around the Swede’s body, letting it fall down to the floor…

________________________________________________________________________

”Magda, can I talk to you? 

The defender looked up upon hearing Martin Sjogrens question. 

”Uum…yeah. Sure.”

She got up and followed her coach in to his office. He closed the door and nodded toward the chair in front of his desk, silently telling her that she was welcome to sit down. 

”Are you OK?” 

That question again. Magda felt a bit uneasy. She really liked Martin and always felt very comfortable talking with him. He was a humble, yet professional coach. They had just finished their game against Djurgården. The end result was another winning streak for Linkoping, 3-1, with a giant opener from no one but Pernille Harder. But what distinguished this match from the previous this season was that Magda had done a rare mistake that had resulted with no clean sheet. She had totally misjudged a long ball, which she had tried to jump up on for an easy header. But instead of hitting the ball she had missed it completely and instead she had fallen backwards in her own penalty area with the consequence being a simple goal for Djurgården's forward in the final minutes of the game. _So _not like Magdalena Eriksson at all. 

”I’m fine” she heard herself answer. ”I’m just a little tired, that’s all. I lost more energy than usual, maybe I wasn’t drinking enough water or something..I don’t know.” 

Martin looked a bit doubtful at first but to her great relief he seemed to accept her explanation.

”Do you want to me to rest you the next game? You’ve been working really hard all season and our next game is already in a few days…”

”No!” she cut him off, it came out worse than she had intended it to. ”Look, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like that…”

”It’s OK” he said reassuringly. ”But its important that you are honest with me you know. I cant have my top defender injured or out in the end of this season. You are too important you know.”

”Are you trying to flatter me?” Magda responded with a smile. 

”Maybe” he said with a lighter tone in his voice. ”But if you tell me you’re fine I believe you. Cause you are being honest with me, right?”

Magda felt bad that she sort of lied. She just tried to convince herself that it was only due to unusual fatigue because of to far too little sleep over the past nights. Never had the relationship with Pernille affected her game and the two of them had always been careful to make sure they took care of themselves with good food, sleep and balanced workouts. She wasn’t that keen on telling him the truth, that she was completely exhausted due to too much sex with their team’s biggest star at the moment. 

”I’m sure” she stated firmly. ”I will get a good night’s sleep and then I’ll be fit for fight again until our training session on Monday. 

”OK. I believe you. Now, go home and get some rest” Martin put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. 

”I will. I promise.” the defender got up and hurried out of Martin's office before he could say anything else. 

Trapped in her own thoughts she walked back to the locker room to shower and get dressed. Most of her teammates had already left and gone home, the only one’s left, her girlfriend and Fridolina. 

”Hey..there you are” Pernille greeted her softly when she entered the locker room again. ”Where’d you go?”

Magda felt herself avoid eye contact with both Fridolina and her girlfriend. She therefore never saw the look the two of them exchanged thoughtfully with one another. Both of them had seen that Magda hadn’t been her usual self out on the pitch the final minute’s of the game. Maybe she was just angry at herself for causing their opponent’s goal in the last minute? 

”I just talked to Martin for a few minutes” the Swede’s answer was short. ”I’ll just hit the shower. You can go out to meet up with your parents if you want. I’ll be right out.”

”OK…” the Dane responded somewhat hesitant. She shot Fridolina a look, telling her silently to stay and ask Magda if she was OK.

Fridolina nodded her head in a silent answer, she understood. 

Pernille watched her girlfriend cautiously for a second, intensly debating with herself whether she should approach the Swede before she left or not. Something in her girlfriend’s body language told her that she shouldn’t. Usually she would’ve believed that Magda’s mood was because of the fact that she was unhappy with her own game performance, but something wasn’t right with that thought either. Magda looked…fragile. OK, she wrote a mental note herself. They really needed to talk further about this later. 

”Don’t ask me if I’m OK, please?” Magda pleaded to Fridolina in the second that her girlfriend had left and closed the door. ”I know that’s why she wanted you to stay.”

”How did you even know that?” the tall midfielder looked surprised at the fact that Magda had already figured out why she had stayed. 

Magda shot her friend a doubtful look with raised eyebrows. 

”OK, OK” Fridolina held her hands up to show that she was surrendering. ”I won’t. But you know you can talk to me about anything if you feel the need?” 

”I know” Magda responded, her voice soft. ”And I love you for that. But not…not tonight. You’re free to go, I’ll be fine I promise. I know your boyfriend is waiting for you. Go.”

”I’m not sure that I should trust you right now…hmm”

”Go!” Magda laughed a little. ”Enjoy your Saturday evening. You deserve it!”

”Ay, ay captain” Fridolina answered obediently and got up from where she was sitting. 

Before she left she hugged her friend warmly. ”You too.”

Magda hurried in to the shower when she finally was alone. She relaxed when the hot water hit her skin. Yeah, she definitely needed to sleep. They were about to go out to dinner with Pernille’s parents but she knew that it wouldn’t be late, since the Dane’s weren’t that keen on late nights. She dried herself with her towel and got dressed, gathered her things and made sure to put the light out in the locker room before going out to meet her girlfriend and her parents. 

Pernille Harder’s facial expression lit up when she approached them out in the parking lot. She returned the smile genuinely and saw that her girlfriend immediately relaxed visibly. The Dane quickly reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together and kissed her softly on her cheek. Magda let out a small sigh at the familiar feeling of her girlfriend’s lips on her skin and leaned in to it to reassure the Dane in silence that everything was fine between them and that her earlier behavior had nothing to do with Pernille. The Dane’s parents greeted her with a hug and for a couple of minutes they talked about the game and decided on what food they should aim for this Saturday night. 

”Should we get going then?” the Swede, finally said, trying to sound more energetic than she actually felt. 

________________________________________________________________________

”Please don’t get angry with me now, but I have to ask you…are you OK?”

Magda sighed heavily when Pernille finally put the loaded question out. They sat in the car, on their way home, after dropping the Dane’s parents off at the hotel. 

”Right now, can you believe me when I say I'm _just_ tired?”

With one hand on the steering wheel and the other one, securely entwined with Magda’s Pernille listened to her explanation. 

”I believe you.”

The Swede almost jumped in surprise. She had been _so_ prepared for a longer interrogation from her girlfriend

”You do?”

”I do.” the Dane squeezed her hand tenderly. ”If you say so, I believe you.” 

Pernille parked the car in their space outside their apartment. 

”Come on. Let’s get you to bed."

There was nothing to it. It was just a simple statement. As if Pernille really could tell how exhausted her girlfriend really was. Ten minutes later Magda found herself safely wrapped up in to her girlfriend’s warm embrace under the cover in their bed. She could feel Pernille's steady heartbeats against her cheek, along with her girlfriend’s tender touches, which gently caressed her hair. Every now and then the Dane placed soft kisses on her forehead, which got Magda’s arms to tighten around Pernille. Their silent communication fulfilled the Swede in a way she’d never even thought was possible. After a few minutes, the Dane shifted, carefully sliding down a bit so their faces ended up at the same height. They huddled up on their pillows and lost themselves in each other's eyes. 

Magda giggled softly when Pernille scooted closer and used the tip of her nose to cuddle her face. The Dane then reached out with one of her hands to cup her girlfriend’s face, gently circling the corner of her mouth with her thumb. 

”We should get some sleep” Pernille whispered. ”Tomorrow I’ll make you breakfast.”

”How come you always know the right things to say?” Magda whispered back. 

”Luckily football isn’t the only thing I’m good at” the Dane joked. 

”Oh, I can come up with a few more things you are _very_ good at” the Swede responded while she turned in bed, taking a gentle hold of Pernille’s arm dragging her along so that they ended up in their regular spooning position. 

The Dane hid her face in to Magda’s neck and breathed in the familiar scent. 

”Good night.”

”Good night…"

________________________________________________________________________

When Magda woke up the next morning she found herself to be alone in their bed. When she turned around and felt with her palm on Pernille's side of the bed, she felt that the bed sheet was cold which told her that it had been a while since the Dane had gone up. Also, she couldn’t hear a thing in their apartment. It was almost deadly silent.It could only mean one thing and that was that Pernille probably had gone out for a morning run, which could happen the day after the game. The Danish had an idea that her muscles sometime needed to stretch out with a little help from a run if she had played 90 minutes the day before. It never use to bother the Swede, but today she felt disappointed because of her girlfriend's absence.

”God, I’m such a girl!” she thought to herself and buried her face in to her pillow. 

She looked at her phone, at first she tried to control herself, but almost immediately she gave up and reached for it, starting to text her missing girlfriend. 

”_Where are you?”_

_”I’m buying you freshly baked bread for breakfast ;-)”_

Reading her girlfriend’s immediate answer got Magda to melt completely. A wide and bright smile invaded her face when she read the text. 

_”I miss you. Don’t like waking up without you. Hurry back…”_

_”On my way…” _

Less than ten minutes later she heard the door to their apartment open and only seconds later her girlfriend peeked in through the bedroom door. The Dane’s lips formed in to a wide smile when the sight of her newly wakened girlfriend came in to vision. 

”Good morning” Pernille greeted her softly, still standing in the doorway.

Magda was sitting up in bed, leaning in to her hands behind her back, tilting her head slightly. 

”Good morning” she said, offering the Dane a small smile in return. 

Pernille went up to the bed to sit down beside her. 

”No good-morning-kiss?” Magda asked, showing small signs of a pout. 

Clearly the Swede thought she was taking way too long time to apply her wish so she took the matter into her own hands, grabbing a hold of Pernille’s hoodie and brought her in for a proper kiss. When she wanted the kiss to deepen she frowned when the Dane, instead of following her lead, broke the kiss gently, only to frame the side of her face with her hand. 

”How are you feeling? You good?” Pernille asked, her voice sounded a little worried. 

”Are you kidding me?” the Swede groaned. ”I’m in bed half naked trying to make out with you…and you just…”

”I’m worried about you.” the Dane cut her off, sounding somewhat amused. ”You can’t blame me!” 

”I told you yesterday. I’m fine!” Magda grunted and fell back down in to the mattress. ”Stop nagging at me about it. I’m just…”

”Tired” Pernille finished the sentence, staring at the Swede. Magda's sudden irritation had caught her by surprise. ”You told me that. Well, forgive me, but something tells me you’re not being completely honest with me!”

A fiery look from her girlfriend told her that she was on the verge of making Magda really angry but she didn't care at this point. The Swede’s behavior was making her both really confused and frustrated. 

”I don’t want to talk about it!” Magda snapped, her voice hostile. ”I..I..can’t you just leave me alone?”

”Fine!” the Dane lashed out angrily. ”I’ll leave you alone!” 

What felt like just a few seconds later Magda heard the door to the apartment slam with a loud bang that probably reflected her girlfriend's anger and frustration pretty well at the moment. The Swede immediately felt tears burning in her eyes and she didn’t even bother to fight it. She had no strength left to fight anything. Strangely enough it felt sort of good to cry. The only thing that didn’t felt good at all was that she had made her girlfriend angry at her. For what? Nothing. Magda couldn’t really tell what was wrong. She was telling the truth when she said that she was tired but if she was honest she also felt both weak and fragile as well. During the game yesterday, when she had gone in to that defending situation everything had gone all black for a second and she had also been feeling a little dizzy. ”What the hell is wrong with me?” Magda thought to herself as she dried her tears with the back of her hand. She glanced at her phone what felt like about a hundredth times the next couple of minutes, wanting to call her girlfriend so bad to tell her how stupid she was and that she was sorry for being a complete idiot but something told her that the Dane wouldn’t be so receptive just yet. She couldn’t even remember seeing Pernille Harder that angry ever before. They hadn’t fought that many time during these past two years, mostly it had just been small collisions and misunderstandings that they had solved quite easy. But never ever had neither of them left in such anger as the Dane had done just now. She woke abruptly from her thoughts when a loud knock from the door was heard. Magda eyed around the bedroom quickly and found a sweater on the floor and a pair of black training pants with a Linkoping logo on them to put on. She rushed through the apartment as the knocking was heard again. 

”Coming!” she shouted, hearing for herself that her voice didn’t sound like its usual self. 

A moment later she found herself standing face to face with Pernille’s mom Annie. Oh God, she probably looked like a total mess. 

”Hi” she managed to get out in a small voice that already cracked. ”Pernille is out…she’s…I…I’m sorry..I just…”

Pernille’s mom must’ve wondered what happened when she saw her daughter's girlfriend went limp in front of her while she almost threw her arms around the Dane’s mom. 

”Hey hey hey…what’s wrong?” her girlfriend’s mom soothed, stroking her daughter’s girlfriend’s hair gently. 

Magda cried even harder than before and poured her heart out in the arms of Pernille’s mom. For several minutes she didn’t manage to even speak and just she allowed herself to be comforted. 

”I…We…were fighting…and I’m so stupid…” the Swede sobbed like a small child. 

”Oh honey…I’m sure it isn’t that bad” Annie Harder really did her best to calm Magdalena Eriksson down. ”Where is she now then?”

”She..she..left.” Magda tried to steady her voice. ”She got really angry with me and I can’t blame her.”

”Have you eaten breakfast yet?” her girlfriend’s mom asked gently. 

”No…”

”Come, sit down and I will put on some coffee.” 

In that moment she felt a huge gratitude to her girlfriend's mother. She sat down at the table and immediately she saw the bag with that freshly baked bread Pernille had gone out to get her earlier. The tears threatened her eyes again but this time she held it back, not wanting to cry anymore in front of Annie Harder. 

When the first sip of coffee slipped into her mouth, it felt a little better and her girlfriend's mom prepared breakfast so she got something to eat too. They sat there drank their coffee and ate while they talked. Magda told Annie Harder everything, well not exactly everything,but enough to let her understand everything in context. 

”She loves you Magda. You have to know that.”

Magda sighed heavily. 

”I know. I love her too. I just don’t understand myself right now. And then I take it out on her although I don’t mean to. She just cares about me and I shove her away…” 

The Swede jumped in her seat when the apartment door opened and her girlfriend stepped inside. Pernille was covered in sweat, her blond hair was put up in its usual pony all messy and wet. ”She must have taken that run after all” Magda thought. She could see that the Dane was a bit taken aback when she saw her mom. 

”Hmm…hi mom!” she glanced quickly at her girlfriend, instantly noticing that Magda had been crying.

”Hi honey!” her mom got up from her chair to put her coffee cup at the kitchen counter, before she approached her daughter to give her a small hug. She sounded normal, which got Pernille to relax visibly. ”I’m gonna leave. You two should talk.”

Annie Harder let her eyes wander back and forth her daughter and her girlfriend, giving them meaningful looks. 

”Call me later and maybe we can have an early dinner before your father and I leave tonight. OK? And bye Magda, you take care now. Both of you.”

And with those words Pernille saw her mother leave their apartment, leaving the two young women alone. The Dane didn’t say anything at first. She just went to the fridge and took a protein shake out, shook it before she opened it and then drank it. Pernille watched her girlfriend intently, who sat looking down at the table, too embarrassed to meet her gaze. 

”I’m gonna take a shower” the Dane informed and took charge to go to the bathroom. 

”Wait…” Magda whispered and got up from the table, reaching out to her girlfriend. ”I..I..I’m sorry.”

Pernille felt her heart drop instantly, hearing her girlfriend’s broken voice. She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around the Swede, hugging her tight, kissing the top of her head. The feeling of having Magda close got her to sigh in pleasure and she used two of her fingers to touch her girlfriend’s chin, forcing her head up so their eyes could meet. Magdalena Eriksson's eyes were shiny with tears. 

”I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean to leave like that…”

The Dane leaned in to kiss the Swede’s lips softly, framing her face with her hands as she did. She felt Magda’s hands going from the small of her back up to copy her own moves with her delicate hands. It was Pernille that asked for the kiss to deepen this time and she smiled in to the kiss when Magda parted her lips in response to her demand. 

”I love you so much” the Swede breathed when her girlfriend’s lips moved from her mouth, down her jawline, finally reaching her neck. Magda tilted her head to give the Dane more access, moaning softly at the familiar feeling that crashed through her body, when Pernille’s mouth worked her magic on her skin. ”I’m sorry for…being an idiot.”

”I love you too” Pernille mumbled as she worked her way back up to Magda’s mouth again, her breath completely uneven as a consequence from the kiss. 

”You’re all sweaty” Magda noted softly and let out a small giggle.

”I really should take a shower” the Dane replied and got ready to let go of her girlfriend. 

”No, don’t leave.” the Swede pleaded and grabbed her girlfriend’s hand to bring her back close. 

”But I’m all gross and sweaty” Pernille pointed out. 

Magda held the Dane’s hands firmly down her sides and tilted her head up for another kiss. She then slid their hands behind her own back and forced her girlfriend’s arms to wrap around her again. 

”Mmm…” Pernille hummed through the kiss. ”You taste good.” She then let her hands find their way under the Swede’s shirt to get in contact with her girlfriend’s bare skin, spreading her fingers out just above Magda’s waistline. ”Now I’ll get you all sweaty and gross…”

”Mmm…maybe I could use a shower as well?” Magda suggested, breathing heavily in to her girlfriend’s mouth. 

”I think you do…” the Dane smiled wickedly before she lifted the Swede off of the floor, only to feel Magda immediately wrapping her legs around her waist. 

Pernille once again took charge to go to the bathroom and this time the Swede didn’t stop her…


	11. You scared me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your kudos :)
> 
> I'm guessing that I'll have to tell you that english is not my native language but I hope you enjoy this anyway!

”I feel like a total wreck…” 

Although what Magda acknowledged didn't come as a complete surprise, Pernille felt herself tense up a bit upon hearing her girlfriend's confession. The Swede lay on her back in their couch, dressed in a pair of soft sweat pants and a sweater that looked a few sizes too big. To the Dane, she still looked small and fragile, a sight that Pernille had seen too often in recent weeks. When she thought about it, their relationship had been very unbalanced lately, just like Magda. When they were good, they were _really _good, but when it was the other way around it was like she didn’t even recognized either of them. It scared her a bit. The Dane sat down, somewhat hesitantly, next to her girlfriend who also seemed to reflect on their recent struggles. 

”Talk to me…” Pernille begged quietly, framing one side of the Swede’s face with one of her hands. 

Magda sighed heavily and reached for her girlfriend’s free hand, lacing their fingers securely together before she spoke.

”You know I wasn’t lying when I told you that I was tired. I’ve been sleeping bad lately…”

”I feel like that’s my fault…” the Dane confessed, guilt written all over her face. 

”No!” Magda hurried to say. ”You’re not the one too blame for me sleeping bad. Maybe for sleeping less…but that’s not the point. It’s been so much lately…with us, the future, our big chance to finally win the league, my role as the team's captain…on top of that I have high demands and expectations in my own performance and it feels like I'm just getting worse  the more I try …both as a girlfriend and as a football player…”

”Don’t say that…you are perfect.” Pernille cut her off, very gently, her voice soft. 

Hearing those words got Magda’s eyes to flood with tears again.

”Y-y-you can’t tell me that” she managed to get out. 

”Sure I can.” the Dane replied, like it was the most natural thing in the whole world. 

Pernille pulled her up in a sitting position, wrapping her arms safely around her crying girlfriend. 

”You have to stop doing this to yourself…I _love_ you. And you can’t tell me that I can’t tell you that you are perfect. I’m your girlfriend. I'm allowed to tell you that. You _are _perfect. And just so you know, you don’t even have to try with me.”

Magda did not respond, she couldn’t. She cried, loudly, holding on to her girlfriend like her life was depending on it, and the Dane let her. The Swede buried her face in to the crook of her neck and Pernille felt her girlfriend’s tears against her skin, which also started to soak her sweater. it took a few minutes, but then she felt that her girlfriend was starting to relax a little, when low sobs took over the previously utterly despairing cry. 

”Great” Magda sobbed. ”I’m not just a wreck, I’m also a total mess…”

”_My_ perfect wreck and a beautiful total mess” Pernille mumbled in to her hair. 

The Swede felt her heart melt completely to her girlfriend’s soothing and comforting words. 

For a moment they just sat there, in silence, to let the situation calm down. 

”You know, what really bothers me with all this, is that you don’t talk to me…I hate it when we are fighting.” the Dane leaned back to lock eyes with her now red-eyed girlfriend. ”That scares _me._”

”I’m sorry. I don’t mean to…” Magda started. 

”I know you don’t mean to.” Pernille cut her off gently again. ”But we have to figure this out so it won’t happen again. I feel like we’ve never had any problems to talk until now. We seem to get in to trouble all the time because we don’t communicate. Am I wrong?”

The Swede bit her lower lip and turned her face away, a little embarrassed that her girlfriend had really hit the right spot with her words. 

”Hey” the Dane said firmly and used her hand to force their eyes together again. ”We need to start talking to each other instead of having sex every time the ground seems to shake below our feet…”

”I know…” Magda whispered. 

”So…do we have a deal?” Pernille asked looking straight in to her girlfriend’s eyes. ”Less sex, more talking?”

”I'm not entirely sure about this…” Magda pretended to think about what her girlfriend was suggesting, trying to light up the mood with a small joke. 

The Dane bursted out in a small laughter upon seeing Magda’s facial expression. 

”Just for the record. It doesn’t mean that we’re not gonna have sex at all…”

The Swede raised her eyebrows, putting her arms around Pernille’s neck again. 

”Just for the right reasons…” she nodded in agreement. 

”Right…” the Dane stated. 

”Seal the deal with a kiss?” Magda asked looking almost shyly at her girlfriend.

Pernille didn’t respond, instead she leaned in to capture Magda’s lips with her own. It was a soft one, but it got the Swede to shift slightly and to gently push her girlfriend back to lean against the couch’s backrest. Magda got up on her knees and hurried to straddle the Dane’s waist, without breaking the kiss. 

”OK…maybe we can start with this, less sex - more talking thing tomorrow…” Pernille decided out loud the moment she recognized the noises of pleasure her girlfriend let out as the kiss deepened even further. 

The Dane fingered at the hem of her girlfriend’s sweater and when Magda noticed that she took the matter in to her own hands and shoved it over her head, leaving her upper body completely bare. 

”We agreed that we could…do…this…for the…right reasons” the Swede’s breathing already out of control. ”Well, making up…isn’t that…for the right reason?”

”We already did that, remember?” the Dane reminded her, although she didn’t make any effort to stop her hands from touching that soft, bare skin in front of her. 

”Well, do you…do you want us to stop then?” Magda asked, still breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath, holding on to the backrest of the couch with both her hands. 

”Do you?” Pernille shot back, looking up at her girlfriend, giving her an inquiring glance. 

”Never…” the Swede whispered back quickly, leaning in for another steamy kiss, widely smiling in to it. 

”Good…me neither. Now, hold on…”

And with those words Pernille Harder stood up, taking her girlfriend along with her who still was attached to her waist and walked promptly in to their bedroom…

________________________________________________________________________

”OK, we’re gonna do a three against three-drill” Martin Sjogren announced. ”I want Janni, Jessica and Magda here” he pointed firmly against the left side of the field. ”Pernille, Stina and Fridolina, you’re all coming from the right. I want the defense to work as a group against two strikers, Fridolina, you’re gonna stay behind to assist Pernille and Stina if they need you. This means that whoever of the strikers that has the ball in possession all three of you are going to follow the person who has it. The thing with this exercise is that it’s important that even if you are constantly covering the player who has the ball, you also stop the opportunity for her to pass the ball forward. If the one with the ball decides to pass it backwards to Fridolina or if you manage to win it over, you are successful. Got it?”

All six players nodded, eagerly to start the drill. Martin put down two, yellow small disc cones about three meters apart behind the three defenders. 

”This is your goal to defend.”

Magda could see from a distance that the Dane fired off a smile full of confident and exchanged meaningful looks with both Stina and Fridolina.

”OK girls, are you ready to wipe of those smirks from their faces?” she turned to her backline colleagues, speaking with a low voice. 

”_So _ready!” they answered in unison, lining up to get going.

”Pernille, you start with the ball.” Martin instructed, throwing one of their training balls toward the Dane. 

”She’s gonna cover the ball with her back turned to us” Magda informed Janni and Jessica, using her hand to cover up what she’d just said so her girlfriend wouldn’t hear. ”I see it.”

Pernille stood in a ready position with hands-on-hips, one of her feet on the ball, shooting glances over at her defending teammates, letting her eyes lingering a little longer at her girlfriend. Magda seemed more lively today and the Dane couldn’t help but smile when she noticed her girlfriend’s ”I’m-so-ready-to-take-you-down-look written all over her face. After they had poured their hearts out to each other yesterday everything had seemed a little lighter between them. In the evening they had met Pernille's parents and had dinner with them before waving them off and wishing them a pleasant trip back to Denmark. Annie Harder had been very pleased to see that her daughter’s interaction with her girlfriend had changed from earlier that day when she had left them in their apartment to talk things out. When they returned home they had huddled up together on the couch and watched a movie. Magda had bought a bag of sweets to treat herself with and once in a while she had tempted her girlfriend with small pieces of the candy and fed her with it. The more she thought about it, the Dane felt that yesterday had been the best night they had together in a long time. 

”OK…go!” Martin started the drill. 

Pernille dribbled the ball, fast forward towards the defenders who quickly formed a formation that could resemble a small triangle around her where Magda was obviously the one who was supposed to go in close combat if needed. ”No objection to that” the Dane thought and and was pretty sure Magda saw the grin that was written all over her face, as she approached. She turned quickly to see where Stina was situated, immediately deciding that it was no use in even trying to make a pass to the younger striker. ”Okay,” she thought. ”I just have to give this a try then”. Passing the ball to Fridolina didn’t even occur to her. That was no option. She refused to let her girlfriend win this one, although she already had noted that Magda probably was thinking exact the same. She caressed the ball smoothly with the outside of her right foot, first to the right and then she turned around completely so she had her back against Magda. Just when she was about to make her final move, she felt her girlfriend’s rock hard body hit her from behind right before a well-trained leg abruptly stopped her progress with a perfect glide tackle.

”Uuuff!” she grunted before she found herself lay, together with her girlfriend, down in the artificial grass. 

”Perfect Magda!” Martin seemed to be more pleased with the outcome of the drill than his Danish striker was. 

”Got you!” Magda whispered victoriously in to her girlfriend’s ear right before they got up to start all over again. 

”Well, I’m glad that you feel better” the Dane replied shortly, pressing her lips altogether, to show her dissatisfaction.

”_Much _better!” the Swede smirked. 

”OK, we go again!” Martin shouted and rolled the next ball to Stina. ”Janni, your turn.”

It was a fun drill. Magda felt both happier and stronger than she had done in a days. They continued and Martin seemed to be very pleased with his defenders. When Martin started the drill by telling them that this was last time the ball was back at Pernille’s feet again. Just when the Dane moved forward, Magda got the same feeling of weakness and dizziness she had felt two days ago in the final minutes of their last game. She tried to focus and stay conscious enough to finish but she failed miserably when she was late in to the combat and her girlfriend’s knee hit her kneecap hard by accident. The Swede felt everything go all black just before she crashed down in the grass. 

Pernille knew something wasn’t right before her girlfriend’s body hit the grass. Something in Magda’s face showed her that something was very wrong. Even though everything happened in the blink of an eye she had the time to get really scared when she saw that the Swede didn’t move. 

”Magda!” she threw herself down in the grass next to her girlfriend and framed her face in panic between her hands. 

Fridolina, Stina, Jessica, Janni and Martin gathered around them immediately and their medical assistant came running with their physiotherapist in close company. 

”Magdalena, are you with us?” the medical assistant said loud and clear to get the defender back in to consciousness again, gently squeezing her arm. 

Fridolina got down on her knees next to Pernille and put her arm around the Dane’s shoulders, trying to calm her down. The tall midfielder could feel the tension in her Danish teammate’s body.

”Oh God, I can’t even look” Stina shook her head in fear and turned around with her hands hidden in her face. 

After what seemed liked an eternity, causing Pernille’s heart to almost stop beating, the medical assistant got Magda to react. The defender slowly blinked her eyes and opened them with caution. At first she seemed confused when the vision of the crowd hovering around and over her hit her eyes. 

”W-w-hat happened?” she asked in a small voice, searching for her girlfriend, relaxing when she felt a familiar hand, lacing fingers carefully, with her own. 

”You left us hanging there for a while” the medical assistant informed. ”How do you feel?”

”I-I don’t know” Magda manage to get out, her voice weak. 

She turned to face her girlfriend who, sat down in the grass on her knees, right next to her, holding her hand. Her heart dropped like a stone at the sight of the Dane’s facial expression that still showed panic. The defender let the medical assistant and the physiotherapist do their job without any major protests but made sure to look straight in to her lover’s worried eyes all the time. 

”OK, do you think you can stand up?” the physiotherapist asked gently. ”If you sit up for yourself we can help you to get up on your feet.”

Magda raised her upper body from the ground to sit up at first. The Dane still held her hand tightly, refusing to let go. 

”I’m going to stand up now” she informed and made her move, feeling her girlfriend’s support to get her up on her feet. 

”You OK?” Pernille said softly, her voice almost as fragile as Magda felt at the moment.

”I-I think so” she replied and started to move her body, to see if it were to cooperate. 

”Let’s get you inside” the medical assistant ordered. ”Martin, I think we should let a doctor examine her tomorrow.”

Martin nodded as answer. 

”Come on girls, let’s gather things up here and let them check on her in private” he told his players that all seemed a little more relaxed now that their team captain was up on her feet again. 

”Martin..I” the Dane started. 

”Go with her” he cut her off, very gently and nodded toward Magda. ”It’s OK.”

”Thanks” she smiled and turned to catch up with her girlfriend who was being lead out from the arena by the medical assistant and the physiotherapist . 

________________________________________________________________________

  
”You scared me” the Dane confessed, caressing her girlfriend’s hair. 

Magda was laying on the bed in their physiotherapist’s room, in the more secluded area of the arena's premises. Pernille sat next to her in a chair, leaning her chin against the bed side, their faces in the same height. They had examined her real good, both the medical assistant and the physioteraphist, agreeing that nothing seemed to demand an ambulance or something like that. But they had already booked an appointment at the doctor for tomorrow. 

”I’m sorry” Magda whispered back, reaching out to cup her lover’s face gently. ”I didn’t mean to. And before you say anything…I really didn’t feel anything until right before it happened.”

”I know” the Dane replied. ”You were on fire out there…I’ve never seen you play so good.”

The Swede giggled softly. 

”You know what we talked about yesterday…Can’t let you score all the time…”

Pernille raised one eyebrow and shot Magda an amused look. 

”Right…hmm. Well luckily for me you play on my team. I wouldn’t wanna be a striker in an opposing team if you’re going to keep that up…”

”For now” the Swede smiled wickedly. 

”What do you mean?” the Dane frowned. 

”You play on my team…for now. But in the future…you’ll never know!”

”Oooh…you mean…?”

”I’m sure I’ll be having the opportunity to take you down again somewhere in the near future…”

Pernille was delighted to hear Magda talking right now. This was the Magdalena Eriksson she had come to know. The one who aimed high and dreamt about something bigger for herself and her carrier. The Dane still held on to that thought that she had shared with her girlfriend’s big sister a few weeks ago. She was absolutely certain that before the next season was over Magda would not be in Linkoping either. Pernille Harder felt completely convinced about the fact that God had bigger plans for them both.

”I can see the headlines already…” the Dane smirked making Magda laugh again. 

”Mmm…come here” the Swede leaned forward for a kiss, letting her lips linger for a while with no further intentions to deepen it. ”I feel better now. I promise. Can we go home now?” 

Before Pernille had the chance to respond the door opened and they saw four, somewhat troubled faces peek inside. 

”We just wanted to see how you were doing” Fridolina said and stepped inside, looking a little hesitant. 

”How are you feeling?” Janni asked friendly. 

Jessica and Stina walked up to the bed and squeezed their team captain’s shoulder gently. The defender felt a rush of warmth when she thought about how caring her teammates also known as her friends were. 

”Like I’ve been hit by a train…” Magda tried to joke around a little to ease the mood of her teammates. 

”Well, that’s almost true” Fridolina joked back, shooting Pernille a meaningful look. 

”Hey!” the Dane pouted, pretending to sound a little offended. ”She started it!” 

All six of them bursted in to laughter and clearly everyone was very relieved to see that Magda seemed to feel better. They chatted for a couple of minutes, telling Magda to promise to take it easy for the rest of the day and wished her good luck at the doctor for tomorrows appointment before they left, leaving the couple alone again. 

”Will you come with me tomorrow?” Magda asked, sitting up slowly with assistance from the Dane, who took a hold of both her hands to gently pull her up. 

”Do you want me to?” Pernille asked in return, resting her hands on Magda’s knees. 

The Swede nodded firmly. 

”Then I’ll be glad too follow you.” she leaned forward and pecked the Swede on the cheek. ”Come on, let’s get you home. I’m thinking take-out, couch cuddling and a football game on TV, FC Midtjylland plays FC Kopenhamn tonight.”

”Sounds like a very good plan” Magda said, her voice cheerful. The Dane relaxed even further to see that her girlfriend now was standing steady on her own two feet again with no help. 

Just when they were about to leave the room, the door once again opened and they found themselves standing face to face with Martin. 

”Good to see you up and running again” he smiled. ”You feel better?”

”Yeah” the defender assured, nodding her head. ”We were just about to leave to go home.”

”Yeah, you better do that.”Martin had a thoughtful expression in his face. ”I’m glad that you’re in good company” he smiled. ”Give me a call tomorrow after your appointment with the doctor and we’ll talk further about how this week will turn out for you.”

”What do you mean?” Magda scrunched her face in dissatisfaction when the realization hit her about where Martin was headed. ”I feel fine now.”

”She’ll promise she’ll call you tomorrow” Pernille quickly complied, feeling her girlfriend’s frustration grow instantly when the Swede started to realize the fact that she might not would be able to play the two games that they had scheduled for this week. ”Come on now, let’s go home!”

”But..!” Magda protested loudly. 

”No buts! the Dane shoot her girlfriend a look that told her to just do as she was told. ”Bye Martin!”

Martin Sjogren, followed his players with his eyes as the couple disappeared out the door. He laughed a little to himself because he had a strong feeling that Pernille Harder might not have that quiet night she may have hoped for after all…


	12. Hardersson?

”OK Magdalena, your blood tests show that you have very low levels of iron.” the female doctor first looked at Magda and then at Pernille with a serious face. ”No wonder you have felt exhausted. Low levels of iron can cause paleness in your face and make you breathless as well as powerless.”

”So that’s why she fainted the other day during training?” the Dane asked, reaching out to lacing her fingers safely together with her girlfriend’s.

”Most likely, yes” the doctor answered and turned her face toward Magda. ”You should eat some red meat and lots of broccoli, spinach and red pepper from now on. Also, you should probably eat food supplements as well. And then I’m going to prescript you some pills too speed up the process of getting your levels back up again.”

”Yeah, yeah, that’s great” Magda said quietly. ”But…the most important thing. Can I play football tomorrow? We have big games coming up this week.”

”I understand if you’re not going like what I will tell you now” the doctor started, the Swede already leaning forward, hiding her face in her hands, groaning loudly in dissatisfaction. ”But I can’t recommend that you neither train or play games this week. When I told that you have very low levels of iron, I meant that they are _very _low right now.” 

Pernille stroked Magda’s back, circling it in soothingly. The Dane felt for her girlfriend in this moment. Her feelings about this were obvious and if it had been Pernille who had got a message like this she knew she’d been just as disappointed as Magda. But she was still relieved over the fact that it hadn’t been anything too serious with her girlfriend’s condition. When Magda had fainted the other day she had been completely panicked and a thousand thoughts had crossed her mind about what the reason could have been. 

”But just this week?” the Swede straightened her back and sat up straight again. ”I refuse too miss the game against Rosengård. That game is probably absolutely crucial to whether we win the league or not!”

”We’ll run a new blood test at the beginning of next week to see how you are doing, OK?”

”OK…” Magda sighed heavily. ”Can I at least do something? Go to the gym? Anything?”

”You shouldn’t do anything that raises your heart rate at least until the weekend.” the doctor said her voice still serious. 

Magda’s eyes widened in complete dismay, causing her danish girlfriend sitting next to her to bit her lip hard to avoid the laughter that threatened to escape her throat. A fiery look from Magda the told her it wasn't the best moment for a good laugh right now but the facial expression that had showed all over the Swede’s face when the doctor had told her the last part was somehow…funny. 

Pernille swallowed her laughter, carefully avoiding Magda’s eyes before she pretended to cough. 

”You can train as you would do the day after a game. Recovery training.” the doctor continued, without noticing the interaction between the couple sitting in front of her. 

”Fine” Magda said shortly and got up from the chair. ”Can I go now?”

”Yes” the doctor said, smiling when Pernille’s facial expression told the doctor ”I’m sorry for her behavior” in silence. ”If you just follow my orders you will be back in business before you know it.”

”I’ll make sure she does” the Dane replied quickly. ”Thanks doctor.”

They walked out, in silence to their car. Something told Pernille Harder that it was no use in trying to talk to her girlfriend so they drove home in silence as well. Magda rested her head against the passenger window and was not looking very pleased. Back in their apartment Magda still hadn’t said one word. 

”Hey…” the Dane said somewhat hesitant, but really wanting to comfort her girlfriend. ”Come here…” she reached for the Swede’s arm and pulled her in for a hug. ”Is there anything I can do to make you feel a little better?”

Magda sighed heavily and buried her face in the crook of Pernille’s neck as she accepted her girlfriend’s warm embrace. 

”No” she grunted. ”There isn’t.”

”Are you sure?” the Dane leaned back to lock their eyes together, still holding the Swede tightly. 

”Yes.” the answer was grumpy and short. 

”Maybe if I do this?” Pernille whispered softly and leaned in to kiss Magda on the cheek, letting her lips linger before she withdrawn. 

”Mmm..nooo” the Swede replied stubbornly although Pernille could hear a hint of playfulness in her voice. 

”Noo?” the Dane lifted one eyebrow and leaned in for another attempt to try and comfort her girlfriend. ”If I do this then?” she started to pop small kiss along Magda’s perfect jawline back to her ear, gently nibbling the lobe. 

”Mmm..mmm…no” only this time the Swede tilted her head to give Pernille access to continue her work. 

”How about this?” the Dane breathed, moving her hands along her girlfriend’s body, stopping at Magda’s waist, her fingers playing with the elastic band belonging to the black Linkoping sweats. ”And this?” she mumbled before their lips locked for a proper kiss. 

”Maybe…” Magda whispered a little out of breath when the kiss broke. 

Pernille opened her mouth to reply but just as she was about to, Magda’s iPhone buzzed. 

”Martin” the Swede announced when she checked the display. 

They reluctantly pulled apart and Magda answered her phone. She couldn't hold back her disappointment when she told Martin what the doctor had said. 

”Can I still go with you to Gothenburg tomorrow?” Pernille heard the Swede asking and a couple of minutes later she hung up her phone, the look on her face a bit lighter. 

”What did he say?” she questioned when Magda turned around. 

”Well, at least I can go with you to Gothenburg tomorrow.” the Swede informed silently. ”Fridolina is also coming so Martin suggested that me and her could share rooms tomorrow since she’s still not playable.”

”You’re stealing my roomie?” the Dane joked with pretended horror in her eyes. 

”Hey! At least you can play…” Magda said in a small voice, her face showing obvious disappointment again. 

”I’m sorry” the Dane said quickly and put her arms around the Swede again. "Let's just focus on the important things here. Beside the fact that I’m very happy about that you are OK”, she said in a low voice. "And do you know what that is?”  
  
”Noo..?” Magda sighed again.

"You and me" Pernille replied firmly. ”And we are amazing!”

Magda leaned back to meet her girlfriend’s soft, blue eyes.

”You and me” she said and offered the Dane a small smile, although it never reached her eyes. 

"And we are Pernille Harder and Magdalena Eriksson and we can do anything as long as we're together, right?” 

Hearing her girlfriend’s words, this time Magdas's smile reached her eyes.

"Right" she said.

The Swede couldn't help it when a small giggle escaped her mouth when Pernille held up one of her hands to high five her.

"You're crazy" Magda laughed.

"Hey!" Pernille protested. "What did we just agreed on? What are we?"

The Swede's expression changed in to a more serious one. Well, at least she tried to.

"We are Pernille and Magdalena. And we can do anything. Cause we are absolutely amazing!””

"Right" the Dane stated. So?"

"Fine" Magda smiled widely. "High five!"

___________________________________________________________________

”This is torture!” Magda groaned with obvious dissatisfaction and turned to Fridolina. 

They sat with the rest of the crowd in the arena in Gothenburg, watching the game intently where Pernille and Stina had just started the show with their fine collaboration that had been significant to Linkoping's success throughout that season. They had alreadylined up a bunch of goal chances in the beginning of the game and Gothenburg was heavily pushed back down in to their own penalty area. 

”Well, I have not been allowed to play in four matches…” the tall midfielder pointed out. ”When you blacked out on us the other day, that was my first full training in weeks. Hopefully we both will be playable til the game against Rosengård next weekend.”

”Sorry” the defender said apologetically. ”I didn’t mean to…”

”I know Magda” Fridolina cut her off gently. ”I’m just glad that you are OK. And may I add, even if I know you probably rather would be out on the field, that it’s kinda nice to have you by my side tonight.”

Magda smiled and leaned against with her friend, putting her arm around Fridolina and squeezed her gently. 

”You can say that. But only because it’s you.” the defender smiled brightly. 

”So, you wanna bet on who scores first? Stina or Pernille?” Fridolina asked turning her attention back to the game. 

The midfielder had just finished the sentence when Stina, with a nice header, got the ball in to the net behind Gothenburgs goalkeeper, coming from a perfect free kick from no other than Pernille Harder. 26 minutes in to the game, Linkoping 1, Gothenburg 0. 

”OK, I think my rock star girlfriend gets the next one” Magda said somewhat dreamily, when the Dane, after celebrating the goal with the rest of the team, searched for her girlfriend in the crowd only to give her a playful wink and a thumbs up.”

”You are so screwed, you know that don’t you?” Fridolina laughed when she saw Pernille’s interaction with the defender next to her out from the field. 

”You would be to if you could share a bed with her, I promise…” Magda said mischievously and winked at Fridolina. ”She is just…amazing!”

”OK, stop…I don’t want to hear any details…” Fridolina’s eyes widened in a mix of horror and amusement. ”I’m going to buy coffee, do you want one?”

Magda laughed when she noticed her friend’s look. 

”Yeah, thanks. That would be lovely.”

”OK, I’ll be right back.”

To Magda’s great relief Linkoping seemed to control the game quite easy. It would have felt awful if it had been the other way around. Martin had moved Emma Lennartsson, who usually played as a defensive midfielder, down to accompany Janni in the central back line for this game. So far, it looked like a very solid defense from Linkoping. Gothenburg didn’t manage to shake the defense enough to score, hell they even had problems to even cross the center line of the pitch to play the ball over at Linkoping’s side of the field. From the stand, Magda got to see his girlfriend score 2-0 to Linkoping in the 58th minute of the game. Stina Blackstenius assisted the Dane by passing the ball perfectly in to the opponents box and even though the Dane had two of Gothenburgs defenders going at her she managed to get a strong foot at the ball, that first hit one of the defenders feet who had been running back to help, before it hit the back of the net. Pernille Harders eighteenth goal of the season was a fact and this time the Dane couldn’t help but blew a kiss at Magdalena Eriksson who fired off a perfect dimpled smile before she returned the gesture. When they played together out there they never showed any special affection toward each other compared with anyone else. Although it was very well-known for everyone in the Swedish League that they were a couple they really had been trying to keep a low profile when playing. 

In the last minutes of the game Magda and Fridolina got to see when their teammates didn’t catch up with one of the Gothenburg midfielders, who scored 1-2. But a victory for Linkoping and with five games left to play they had a four points lead against their greatest opponent Rosengård. 

________________________________________________________________________

”Come with me.”

Magda turned in her seat and was greeted by Pernille’s blue eyes. They had just had dinner and everyone seemed to be engaged in conversations with one another around the tables in the hotel’s restaurant. The Swede wasn’t late to apply her girlfriend’s wish and got up quickly from her chair.

”Where are we going?” she asked curiously, following the Dane, who seemed to have her mind set on the elevators. 

”Nowhere special” Pernille replied, a smile playing in the corners of her mouth. ”I just want to talk with you alone for a while before we go to bed. Your room or mine?” she decided to play and have some fun with this. 

The Swede giggled, happily playing along. 

”You are very blunt. I usually don’t go in to hotel rooms with random people picking me up in hotel bars like this…”

”But if I say hi stranger…?” Pernille whispered, closing the distance between them as the elevator started to move up. "Have we met before? Cause you seem _so _familiar…"

The Swede chuckled and put two fingers on her chin, pretending to think.

"I'm not sure…have we?"

The Dane smiled mischievously and got even closer.

"Maybe _this _will help you remember?"

She leaned in, parted her lips and kissed Magda tenderly. Both released a sigh in to the kiss.

"Oh, _now _I remember…" the Swede whispered when they broke the kiss and pressed their foreheads together. "Hello girlfriend…"

"Hello…" Pernille murmured savoring the moment for a second, looking deep in to Magda's beautiful eyes.

Magda started to feel light headed. She suddenly had to lick her way to dry lips, feeling the taste of her own lip-gloss. Magda blew out the air that she apparently had been holding back in her lungs causing a few strands of hair to move from her face. Pernille bit her lower lip and started to play with the hem of Magda's t-shirt. The doors to the elevator opened and the Swede grabbed her girlfriend’s hand almost dragging her out of the elevator in to the hallway. 

”What was it you just said about that you usually don’t let strangers take you up in to hotel rooms?” the Dane said playfully as she willingly let herself almost be pushed in to the room that Magda shared with Fridolina. 

"Kiss me" Magda breathed and finally let all the air she had been holding in out.

The Dane leaned forward and kissed Magda softly on the lips before she quickly withdrawn again causing the Swede's closed eyes to open just as quickly as she had closed them looking very unhappy.

"I said: Kiss me and that's all you can come up with?" she said ironically.

"What?" Pernille replied innocently. "I did kiss you."

"Hmmppff!" Magda huffed. "That wasn't a kiss. That was just…lame."

"You're quite hard to satisfy today, aren't you?" the Dane teased and tilted her head slightly.

"I wouldn't be if you just would shut up and kiss me properly" the Swede grunted sounding very annoyed.

"You're cute" Pernille pointed out and pulled her girlfriend close before the Swede had the chance to start protesting again and kissed her, putting more effort in to the kiss this time.

Magda let out one of her soft moans when the Dane cupped her face and fusing their lips harder together. It didn’t take long before their tongues danced in a heated duel, hands roaming each other's bodies and for the moment neither one of them thought about anything else then just being this close to each other. The Swede pushed Pernille back on to one of the beds, quickly following, resuming to the heavy make-out session. The Dane felt two hands, one of them firmly working its way down to her thigh, the other one all wrapped up in her hair. 

”Oh..you feel so good…” Magda almost purred like a kitten in to her ear making her see stars in front of her eyes. 

”Oh God…you are evil” the Dane scrunched her face, putting her hands on her girlfriend’s shoulders, pulling back from the kiss. 

”What?” Magda questioned. ”Two can play this game you know…”

The Dane swallowed hard and turned her face away to gather a little. In the next moment the door opened, making them almost flew apart and off from the bed. 

"Oh, I'm sorry", Fridolina said, looking extremely amused. "I thought that this was my hotel room but I'm not the one who is willing to _not_ change my mind if someone were to tell me I was wrong."

Magda and Pernille blushed furiously, both of them had the expression in their faces like they had been caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

"Sorry", Magda said sheepishly. "We were just…saying good night.”

”You two are completely hopeless these days” Fridolina laughed, shaking her head, still looking very amused. ”Weren’t you suppose to take it easy and NOT do things that could increase your heart rate? I’m thinking that making out like crazy isn’t helping you with that.”

”We didn’t make out like crazy!” Pernille protested vaguely. ”We just kissed…a little.”

”Yeah, try to tell yourself that Harder, but if I hadn't arrived, your clothes would soon be all over the room.” Fridolina continued to tease the couple who still were blushing. 

”Oh God!” Magda grunted and hid her face in her hands. ”I’m not sure I can look you in the eyes ever again Fridolina!”

”Oh stop it Magda!” their friend laughed. ”I happen to be one of Harderssons biggest fan.”

Pernille frowned. 

”Hardersson?”

”Yeah, that’s what everyone calls you.” Fridolina explained, still grinning. ”I think it’s cute.”

”OK, this is too much to take…” the Dane sighed dramatically. ”Obviously time for bed.”

”I’m gonna go brush my teeth” Fridolina informed and headed for the bathroom. ”And kids, behave while I’m gone…” she pointed with her index finger firmly toward the couple making them blush all over again. 

”OK…good night then…” the Dane said quickly and headed for the door. 

”Hey!” Magda grabbed her arm pulling her back. ”You can’t just leave…”

”E-eeh? Sure I can. You can be here and be embarrassed about what you just got us in to with your: OOH..you-feel-so-good-thing.”

The last part the Dane said with a playful twinkle in her eyes, making sure that the Swede would know she was joking again. 

”Good night…” she leaned in for another kiss, pressing her lips firmly against her girlfriend's, who couldn’t help but smile in to it. ”I’ll see you tomorrow you sexy thing…”

And with those words Pernille Harder was out the door, leaving Magdalena Eriksson with a wide, dimpled smile… 


	13. I don’t like that girl

”Good job everyone!” Martin Sjogren stated before he let his team go this late Friday afternoon. ”We’ll gather here tomorrow at 9.00 am to leave for Orebro.” 

It was close between the games in the end of the season. Linkoping had a great chance to leave Rosengård behind with a few points more this weekend if they could just beat Orebro. Pernille Harder wanted to win this game badly. For almost four and half years with Linkoping, this was exactly what she had worked so hard for since she got here. It had been such a fantastic journey and she couldn’t be more grateful for what it had given her. But if she could finish her time in Sweden with the greatest title of them all she would be more than satisfied. 

”So, what are you and Magda up to tonight?” Fridolina asked, which got her Danish teammate to wake up from her thoughts. 

”Oh, I actually thought I would tempt her with dinner and a movie.” Pernille replied thoughtfully. ”They’re showing The Great Wall with Matt Damon at the movie theater down town tonight. You wanna come?”

”Hmm…I wouldn’t be like the third wheel then?” Fridolina teased. ”I mean, the way you two have _behaved _lately…”

The Dane laughed and slapped her friend’s arm playfully. 

”Oh shut up! We can behave like adults. I can guarantee you that.”

”Well, it would be nice. Simon isn’t coming this weekend and I just don’t feel like hanging out alone in my apartment tonight.” 

Pernille’s face lit up in a white toothed smile. 

”Great! I’m guessing Magda is in the gym. I will go and tell her. Be right back!”

The Dane got up quickly and almost ran through the hall down to the gym. She opened the door and peeked inside. Her girlfriend was laying on the floor, in one of the gym mats, doing what looked like her daily 7 minutes ab work out. If it was something Magdalena Eriksson never skipped doing in the gym, it was her 7 minutes ab work out. Almost as accurate with that as she was with cleaning their apartment. Pernille didn’t mind though. Not at all in fact. She couldn’t help the mischievous smile that invaded her face as she watched her girlfriend worked hard down on the gym floor. The Swede was heavily engaged in her leg scissor exercise, her face in deep concentration. The Dane waited patiently, not wanting to disturb, until her set was done and when she saw Magda fall back with a grunt on the gym mat she walked through the door and approached her girlfriend. 

”Hi you!” the Swede smiled when she noticed the gym’s visitor. ”Are you guys done?”

”Yeah…” Pernille got down on the floor in front of Magda and put her hands on her girlfriend’s knees, letting them linger. ”Are you done?”

”Three more sets of regular sit ups” the Swede replied, winking playfully with one eyebrow. ”Which means you arrived just in time to assist me.” 

”I’ll be happy to help” the Dane smiled and took a hold of her girlfriend’s knees, holding them steady in place when the Swede started her reps of sit ups. 

Every time Magda lifted herself back up from the ground Pernille felt the muscles just above her girlfriend’s knees twitch slightly, working hard. It was safe to say that Magdalena Eriksson was one of the most well-trained players in the league. 

”47…48…49…50!” the Swede groaned and fell back heavily on the ground throwingher arms behind her head to recover. 

The Dane stayed silent, taking the opportunity to explore her girlfriend’s leg muscles more closely. A small smile started to form in the corners of her mouth as she did. She added a bit of a pressure to her touch with her thumbs, circling them in small motions. 

”W-w-what are you doing?” Magda asked, almost whispering, still out of breath from the first set of her sit ups. 

The Swede didn’t move, still laying flat on her back, her breathing uneven. 

”Uumm…nothing?” Pernille said, her voice innocent. ”Are you…gonna go again or what?”

Magda lifted her head up, glancing her girlfriend suspiciously. Then she lifted her upper body slowly again, just as if she wanted to see what the Dane was up to. 

”What?” Pernille questioned, trying to look serious and concentrating at her mission. ”I’m just helping you. Like you wanted.”

”Mm…mm.” the Swede mumbled before she resumed doing her sit ups again. 

The Dane couldn’t help it, she just had to tease her girlfriend. She leaned forward which resulted, that each time Magda lifted her upper body, their faces came dangerously close to each other. 

”38…39…40…” Pernille counted, whispering hoarsely as her girlfriend worked her way up and down in front of her. 

Magda bit her lower lip and cursed herself in silence by the impact the Dane’s actions had on her. 

”Stop doing that…” Pernille commented, her voice husky. ”47…48…49…50…”

”What?” the Swede whispered back and finished the set of reps by stopping her upper body in the air, instead of falling backwards to recover this time. 

”Biting your lip like that…” the Dane pointed out. ”Uuuff!” she was caught by surprise when Magda suddenly spread her legs which got Pernille to lose her balance falling down all over the Swede. 

As their bodies pressed close together, they both released air from their lungs. Pernille got back up slightly, leaning her own body weight on to her forearms, framing her girlfriend’s face. 

”Hi…” Magda whispered, a little out of breath. 

”Hi…” the Dane mumbled, goose bumps covering her skin, feeling the Swede’s warm breaths puffing for attention at her lips. 

”Uumm…have you done your pushups today?” Magda asked, a playful hint in her voice. 

Pernille frowned, not sure what her girlfriend’s intention with that question was. 

”No..?”

”Maybe…you should take the opportunity to…do them…right now, while I recover for my last set of sit ups…?” Magda suggested, shooting her girlfriend a meaningful look. 

The Dane soon got the hint, smiling wickedly down at the Swede. She got up, in a ready position for doing pushups, still hovering down over Magda. Each time she pressed herself up and down, Magda lifted her head ever so slightly, and it didn’t take long until their lips fused together. 

”Oh!” the Swede’s mouth shaped in to a perfect ”O” when their lower bodies pressed together, as the Dane let her whole body down, giving up the thoughts of doing more pushups. 

”Have I ever told you how much I like to spend time in the gym with you?” Pernille breathed in to Magda’s mouth, breaking the kiss for a second, only to resume it when the Swede framed her face firmly with both hands, pulling her back in to continue the kiss. 

”No” Magda said breathlessly when some much well-needed air had to be inhaled and the kiss broke. ”But I don’t mind you showing it to me…oh God!” the Swede breathed, throwing her head back when the Dane hit her most sensitive spot with featherlight kisses, just below her ear. 

”Hey, where did…OH MY GOD! MY EYES!” a familiar voice suddenly shouted in horror, making the couple jump in position and up on their feet instantly. ”I’m blind!” 

Fridolina Rolfö dropped her training kit with a pang on to the floor, hiding her face in her hands. ”Can’t the two of you behave at all these days? I’m gonna be traumatized for life!”

The couple blushed terribly by now, not sure at all of what do say or do. 

”Please say that you are decent so I can open my eyes again!” Fridolina pleaded, opening two fingers from one eye to get a peek, making sure that her friends had finished the make out session down on the gym’s floor. 

”We’re…sorry!” the Dane said, still not sure of where to look. ”I was just helping her doing sit ups and then…I..I..it’s all her fault!”

”Hey!” Magda shot her girlfriend a death stare. ”My fault? It was you that started it!”

”You know what they call people like you two?” Fridolina questioned, taking both hands away from her face, still somewhat shocked. 

The couple still looking very ashamed, stared down at their feet, shaking their heads in unison as an answer to their friend’s question. 

”Hopeless! Completely hopeless!”

”Again…” Magda started, lifting her head up to dare to meet Fridolina’s eyes again. ”We’re sorry.”

The look on the couple’s faces was too funny to ignore. The tall midfielder suddenly bursted, laughing loudly. A few seconds later all three of them stood in the gym, laughing together at the awkward situation. 

”You should have seen your faces!” Fridolina said, still laughing. ”I would have done anything to get a picture of that you know!”

”Let me just tell you that I’m really glad that it was you and no one else that came in” Magda said, still feeling a little embarrassed about the whole thing. 

”Did you even asked Magda about the thing we were talking about in the locker room?” Fridolina said and turned her head to face the Dane. ”Or did you _forget _about that somewhere along the way?”

”Ehh…yeah, right…that” Pernille started, she turned to her girlfriend before she continued. ”I was suppose to come here and ask you if we could go out for a dinner and a movie tonight with our friend here” she nodded her head at Fridolina. 

”Do you think that you two can behave for a couple of hours?” Fridolina stared right at them, trying to look serious. 

”Of course we can!” Magda assured. ”We promise! You can even sit in between us at the movie!” 

”Well, what are you waiting for then?” the tall midfielder said. ”Go shower and get dressed!”

The couple reacted instantly and took charge to go to the locker room and do as they were told leaving Fridolina, who laughed to herself when she saw them walking down the hall. She felt nothing but true happiness for her friends. It was a delight to see Magda so in love. They had known each other for a long time and she had never see her friend so happy ever before. In the beginning of the couple’s relationship Magda had been so unsure of herself. They had talked a lot and Fridolina had encouraged her friend as much as she could. She knew that it had been a roller coaster ride for the couple, feelings all over the place as Pernille had been unsure of what she actually had felt for Magda. And she hadn’t been lying the other day, Fridolina Rolfö really was the Harderssons biggest fan…

___________________________________________________________________  


  
”We should do something fun tonight! Are you with me or what?” Jessica Samuelsson said loudly in the bus, making sure that the whole team heard her. ”So, we didn’t get the result we wanted today but hey, that doesn’t mean we’re still in the game! And tonight we should celebrate just that! We are still in the game girls!”

At first no one seemed to get in a better mode despite Jessica’s effort to pep talk her teammates. They were on the bus, back to Linkoping after a disappointing draw against Orebro. 2-2. A game that they had been predicted to win quite easy, but today, it hadn’t really gone their way at all. Rosengård had won their game and now it was only two points between the teams again in the top of the table. Next weekend Rosengård and Linkoping were about to clash together in a very exciting game that probably would have a big outcome in which of the two teams that would win the league in the end. 

”Oh come on! Don’t be such party poopers!” Jessica smiled and swept with her arm around the bus. ”We still haven’t lost one single game this season and we can still win the league. I for one think that is worth celebrating and I think we all need a night of fun! I got some friends coming over tonight that are not footballers, everyone of you are welcome to join at my place.”

”What do you two lovebirds say? Should we join?” Fridolina peeked in between the space to the two seats in front of her where Magda and Pernille sat. The Dane was in deep concentration, watching the game they just played all over again on her iPad, analyzing every single one of her own moves, choices and passes. 

Magda, who was used to the fact that her girlfriend was not very talkative when she was busy judging herself, turned around to answer. 

”Yeah, sounds like fun actually.

Fridolina seemed to be pleased with that answer and leaned back in her set again. 

Magda side eyed her girlfriend intently. The Dane studied the game close at the screen in front of her, only to press stop once in a while to write something down in the notepad she had in front of her. 

”Damn it…” Pernille hissed to herself. ”Why did I go that way _again_? I should’ve used that space to move in on instead…”

The Swede had come to admire this particular habit that her girlfriend showed after every single game they played. The difference between herself and Pernille was that the Dane never let her mistakes get to her. She only used them to do better in the next game and in training as well for that matter. Magda, could far too easily beat herself up a bit too much if she felt she’d done a bad performance. 

”You see that?” the Dane frowned, pointing distinctly with the pen at the screen. ”She never covered _that _space behind her and I didn’t use it, not even once.”

”Oh, but you see how she’s using her body to fool you she’s going to?” Magda replied, following the Orebro defender with her finger on the screen to show her girlfriend what she meant. ”That’s quite good defending if you ask me.”

”Hmm. Maybe you’re right. It’s kinda hard to see when you come straight in to this line with the ball…” Pernille chewed thoughtfully on her pen before she wrote down what Magda just had said. ”Still, I wasn’t clinical enough today. Not good enough. We should’ve won. I had at least two chances where I should have scored.”

”Well…if you’re lucky…” Magda lowered her voice and leaned in closer to her girlfriend. ”I might give you one or two chances to score tonight…”

”Really?” the Dane raised her eyebrows, putting the pen and notepad away before she turned to give the Swede her full attention. ”Does that mean I have to have a game plan prepared or should I just go with the flow? she whispered, her voice husky as she made totally sure that only Magda could hear what she said. 

”Oh…you know” the Swede took her girlfriend’s hand gently, putting it under the blanket she had been using to get some sleep in for the trip down to Orebro this morning. ”I think you just should do…what feels best for you…in the moment” Magda closed her eyes when she forced Pernille’s hand to move from her knee up her leg slowly, under the blanket. 

The Dane fired off a wicked smile before she turned her body to cover the space between her teasing girlfriend and the rest of their teammates sitting on the other side of the bus, also making sure that by resting her head in the small space that went back, Fridolina’s view was also closed. 

”I take it…that you are feeling better now” she said softly, referring to the previous week’s battles with the result of the doctor’s appointment and all. 

They really had behaved the past week. Pernille had been very keen to make sure Magda had eaten and slept properly in order to get back in form. Besides a few heavy make out sessions they had been…behaving. Magda had done some exercise on the cross trainer and keeping her routine with the ab training but that was all according to what the doctor had given her approval to. 

”_Much _better” Magda whispered. ”I’ve missed you…” she reached out letting one of her fingers brush her girlfriend’s lips gently. 

The Dane swallowed, licking her lips as her mouth suddenly felt awfully dry. 

”Me too…” she squeezed Magda’s thigh instinctively, which got the Swede to squirm in her seat. ”OK, we have to stop this right here…” the Dane removed her hand, immediately leaving the Swede with an instant feeling of emptiness. 

The Swede laced their fingers together in order to compensate the lack of physical closeness. 

”We can go to Jessica’s place together with the rest to hang out for a while and then we can…go home.”

”Jessica?” Pernille questioned, looking confused. ”What did I miss?” 

___________________________________________________________________  
  
  
”We should really play some golf while we are in Sri Lanka.” Fridolina said later that night when they were at Jessica’s. ”Don’t you think that would be fun?”

Magdalena Eriksson stood in front of the tall midfielder in the middle of the living room in Jessica’s apartment, talking. Or at least, Fridolina was talking to Magda. Somewhere during the conversation Fridolina had lost her friend’s attention. The defender’s attention was turned to something that obviously was going on across the room. She didn’t know when it had happened but suddenly Magda’s facial expression had changed from a very happy and chirpy one to an almost fiery look, her eyes narrowed.

”Magda!” Fridolina said a little louder, poking her friend in her stomach to get her attention again. 

”Uuhh..what?” the defender asked as she seemed to come back to reality again. 

”What’s up with you? You’re not listening to a word I’ve been saying” Fridolina turned to look in the same direction where Magda’s eyes went. ”Ooohh…”

The sight of Pernille Harder interacting with people across the room, who happened to be…girls, Fridolina understood immediately what had got Magda so distracted. The Dane was talking to one of Jessica’s none football friends and the girls seemed to really enjoy Pernille’s company. The girl, who was both cute and pretty, was laughing at something Pernille was talking about and once in a while she took a hold of the Dane’s hands. From this distance it looked like she brushed her fingers over Pernille’s hands while she did. 

”Calm down Magda” Fridolina said, her voice low and steady. 

”I don’t like that girl.” the defender hissed through her teeth. 

”You don’t even know her.” Fridolina said mildly and squeezed Magda’s shoulder. 

”I don’t have to know her. I still don’t like her.” the defender squeezed her lips altogether to amplify her thoughts about the girl. 

Fridolina shook her head slightly and turned to look at Pernille again. One second later she heard Magda inhaling sharply out of fury when the girl closed the distance further to the Dane, standing next to her, taking Pernille’s hand in to her own. 

”Mag…da!” Fridolina didn’t have the time to grab a hold of her friend’s arm to stop her. Magda was already on her way to her girlfriend. The tall midfielder sighed heavily already feeling sorry for her Danish friend. 

”Can I talk to you for a minute?” 

The Dane seemed a little startled by the sudden presence of her girlfriend and she heard that the tone in the Swede’s voice didn’t seem so…friendly. Before she had the chance to respond she felt herself being dragged across the room in to a corner. She gave the girl an apologetical look. 

”What are you doing?” Pernille asked all confused. 

”Me? What are _you _doing?” Magda sounded angry. 

The tension was obvious. Pernille found herself thinking about what she saw in Magda's eyes in this very moment. Possession? Just jealousy? It didn’t take that long for the Dane to realize what had caused the mood for her girlfriend. Never ever had she experienced anything like this. Not from Magda. Not with Magda. She couldn't exactly say that the Swede only was being silly but they’d just talked about golf for God’s sake! It wasn't like she was going to cheat on Magda. She would never do that. No, this was about the fact that Magda obviously didn't like that there was a big risk that someone else pictured the Dane in ways that only was meant for her. In the beginning of their relationship they never had been jealous of each other's admirers. Often they just made some lame joke about them or just simply talked about it. But there seemed to be a big difference here. 

Magda on the other hand wasn't even sure of what she was feeling in this particular moment. Jealousy? Love? Passion? Or was it a mix? That girl, even if she happened to be one of Jessica’s friends, was bugging the hell out of her. And also she did not even know the woman. But something was up. There was something about her that made Magda burn with jealousy. And that meant trouble. Especially right now. For a brief couple of seconds they just stood there staring into each other's eyes. Like as if they was trying to read each other's minds.

"Magda!" Pernille sighed, breaking the tense silence. "We were just talking. About golf, if you’re interested in knowing.”

Magda rolled her eyes and grunted.

"Yeah, right. Maybe you were talking about golf…she definitely was not!”

"You're being irrational here" the Dane said, staring at the Swede. ”Come here…” she pleaded softly, opening her arms to Magda offering her a hug. 

The Swede wasn't falling for the Dane's sweet talk. Not yet. She crossed her arms over her chest to show that she wasn't willing to let this go. Pernille looked amused by the whole situation.

"You're not taking me seriously" Magda commented.

"I _always_ take you seriously" Pernille replied. "But you're not acting reasonably here."

"I do too" the Swede pouted.

"You do not."

"Do too."

Pernille couldn't hold back the laughter any longer even though she knew that was a risky move. Magda was looking like a stubborn child.

"It's not funny", Magda complained.

"I'm sorry" the Dane said and tried to get herself together. "Come here."

She offered one of her hands to Magda who finally took it somewhat reluctantly. Pernille leaned her forehead against her girlfriend's.

"I love YOU.” 

Magda relaxed a little when she heard the Dane's statement and even more when her girlfriend closed the space between them with a warm hug. Inhaling Pernille’s sweet scent of the perfume her girlfriend used she decided to let this go. For now. The Dane put her hand on Magda’s shoulder, pushing her back slightly to eye her intently. And there it was again. That burning desire. She became insecure for a short moment. Maybe they should talk? But apparently Magda didn’t want to talk. The Swede almost threw herself forward to cover Pernille’s lips with her mouth. Letting herself turn in to complete mush when her girlfriend kissed her like that, the Dane let the thoughts of talking go for a brief moment. Magda held her in a steady grip down her waist and she let her own hands find their way up to wrap in the Swede’s hair, both of them breathing heavily at this point. 

”No..no..wait!” Pernille broke the kiss by turning her head. 

”I don’t want to wait…” the Swede mumbled as she leaned in to kiss the Dane’s neck. 

”Me neither…” Pernille breathed. ”But please…I just…want to ask you something.”

Magda tried to steady herself enough to regain some sort of control. 

”W-what?”

”This isn’t some unbalanced way to tell me that we are going to fight about this later? You’re not going to wake up and be angry with me tomorrow and let me be all confused again are you? Cause if you feel the need to do that I think we should just…”

”No!” Magda cut her off in an instant, when she understood where the conversation was headed. ”I promise. And you were right earlier. I am irrational. Or was. I’m sorry.” 

The Dane studied her girlfriend closely. Magda seemed very sincere with what she was telling. 

”OK, good!” Pernille looked pleased. ”Let’s get out of here!” she blurted, turning her girlfriend around almost pushing her towards the door that lead out of Jessica’s apartment. 

The Swede giggled and seemed very pleased with her girlfriend's eagerness to get home to their own apartment. They almost slammed the door shut to Jessica’s apartment, immediately resuming to their earlier make out-session as soon as they were alone out in the stairwell. Magda pushed Pernille back against the wall, immediately letting her hands wandering down and in under her girlfriend’s shirt. 

”I want you so bad…” she breathed heavily when her hands connected with the Dane’s bare and oh so soft skin. 

”Oh God…we really need to get home! Like right now. And fast!”

”Mmm…mmm! Wait, I just want to…”

”No, stop that! You can’t do _that_ to me here…that’s just mean!” the Dane pouted using her last bit of self-preservation to regain control, pushing Magda away from her which got the Swede to giggle softly. 

”I’m sorry…I can’t help it!” Magda said, her voice extra raspy as her eyes twinkled playfully. 

”You’re forgiven…but only because you are so damn good looking…” Pernille whispered, unconsciously leaning forward again with a heavy stare at her girlfriend’s mouth. 

The tension rose again, which got them both to wake from their little cocoon. Neither of them said a word, but in the moment later they laced their fingers together and started to run down the stairs and out on the street. And without saying anything else they chose to take a shortcut over another backyard to get home as soon as possible…


	14. You are going to make me cry again…

”Are you sure you feel comfortable with this?” Pernille asked, her voice worried. 

Magda shrugged, her facial expression a little hesitant and somewhat troubled. 

”Honestly? No. But it probably would make me feel more weird if I opted to get out now.”

They sat in their car, on their way to the arena in Linkoping. A danish TV sport channel had contacted Pernille. They wished to follow her the last month of the season to do a longer broadcasting with the content somewhere during the upcoming winter. A picture, from the international game between Sweden and Denmark a few weeks ago had not entirely unexpectedly brought some attention at their relationship. Like Pernille had suspected, a photographer had managed to take a picture of the couple when they had interacted after the game at Viborg's arena. Even if the Dane had been very clear that the questions primarily should be about her career and just the football, the two of them knew it was inevitable that no personal questions would be asked at all.The TV channel in return had been clear in their communication that they wanted to tell the story about the football player Pernille Harder as well as the story about her as person in order to get their viewers to know her better. They had talked a lot about this, back and forth about both pros and cons but in the end they had realized that it only would look strange if Magda wasn’t going to be present at all.

”I don’t like that you feel that way” the Dane said cautiously, who already had a gentle grip of her girlfriend’s hand, brought it up to her lips, giving it a soft kiss. All while keeping her eyes safe on the road and the other hand steady on the steering wheel. 

The Swede offered a small smile in return of her girlfriend’s loving gesture. 

”I guess they’re going to ask how I feel about the fact that you probably not going to be here for the next season and stuff like that…I can handle that.” 

Pernille stopped the car outside the arena, where their own parking space was located. Every player had their own space. 

”I know you can handle it” the Dane sighed while she turned the car off. ”I just don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

Magda felt a rush of warmth going through her body. She loved that Pernille always cared and thought about what was best for her. So far they had been spared from questions about their privacy. But they were not naïve, they had known that it was only a matter of time. It was just that Magda didn't feel as comfortable as Pernille when it came to the media at all. She had even thought it was hard to talk to journalists about football sometimes too. 

”I’ll be fine. I promise. I mean, how bad could it be?”

The Dane’s face lit up, Magda noticed the relief in her face. 

”OK, it seems like they’re already here.” Pernille nodded toward a car with the channel’s logos on it. ”Shall we?”

___________________________________________________________________

Magda signed heavily, leaning back against the wall where she sat on one of the benches in the teams locker room. It was a sigh of relief, finally she felt like she could relax and be herself again. It was strenuous to constantly have to think about what to say and how it would sound when you said something out loud. Although, Pernille Harder was one of her favorite subjects to talk about it felt strange to talk about their relationship to a person she didn't even know. Magda did not understand how their relationship could even be an interest for other people to hear about. Luckily, it hadn’t been that bad. The reporter had been very kind with her questions, making Magda comfortable enough to answer and letting her take time to reflect before doing so. She slowly began to realize the extent of having a relationship with Pernille Harder. Her privacy would most certainly become more and more public as time went on. It had nothing to do with the fact that she wanted to hide anything, not at all. They had never been ashamed of their relationship, in fact, they had always been very open about it. Well, if it was a choice between never talking about the relationship or showing feelings again in public, the choice was simple. Magda simply had to get used to this. 

”Hey! What are you doin in here all by yourself?” 

Fridolina entered the locker room a little hesitant at first, as if she was afraid to disturb the defender that seemed a little absent. 

”Oh, I just wanted to be alone for a while.” the defender replied. ”But boy, am I glad to see you!”

Her friend approached her, letting her training kit down on the floor, before she sat down next to Magda. 

”You want to talk about it?”

The defender sighed and leaned forward, hiding her face in her hands. 

”TV Midtvest from Denmark is here, they’re interviewing Pernille right now. I’ve just been grilled by the reporter myself, I just had to get away for a while.”

”Oh…” Fridolina nodded understandingly, putting her hand on her friend’s back in comfort. 

”You know it’s strange…” Magda started thoughtfully. ”If someone would have told me three years ago, when I moved here, that I should have fallen so deeply in love with Pernille Harder, I probably would have laughed my head off. And look at me now, here I am, hiding in a locker room from being totally exhausted emotionally from being interviewed, answering questions from a reporter, who’s asking me how it feels to know that my girlfriend soon will be leaving me…”

”She’s not leaving you…” Fridolina protested. ”But I get where you’re coming from. That question wasn’t quite nice… Although I understand why the reporter’s asking you that. It's a bit yummy for a headline…what was your answer?”

”My professional answer was that this is the way it has to be right now and I would never ever stand in the way of her dreams. Also…that I am so proud of her, both as her girlfriend, teammate and as a team captain for Linkoping. And I’m not just proud of her accomplishments out on the pitch, I am proud to have seen her develop as a person outside the football field these years. And then I finished the whole thing off by saying that if it means we’re going to have to spend 4-5 years apart, its not that much if you think about the fact that we hopefully are going to spend the rest of our lives together anyway…”

”Oh Magda…” Fridolina sighed, obviously stunned by what her friend had just said. 

Magda offered Fridolina a tired smile and was about to say something when the door to the locker room opened. A short moment later they were joined by several of their teammates who were getting ready for training. As usual, when the whole team was in there the noise level increased. Magda gave Fridolina a grateful look and squeezed the midfielder’s arm as a silent thank you for the talk. She then searched the room with wandering eyes for her girlfriend who should be back by now. When her eyes locked with the Dane across the room she felt a rush of feelings flow through her body. The smile covering her girlfriend’s face when their eyes met was all Magda needed to let all of the uncomfortable feelings go for now. 

___________________________________________________________________

”OK, here’s the starting line up for tomorrow” Martin announced as the information about the squad showed on the big screen in the arena’s conference room after their training session had ended. ”Glad to see both Magda and Fridolina up and running again. Tomorrow’s game will probably be the most important game we have faced together as a team. Important also means the toughest and hardest challenge we’ve ever had. This journey we have had together this season is incredible and as your coach I couldn’t be more proud of every single one of you. I’m completely convinced that if we do what we do best tomorrow we will be able to continue to perform at the same high level.

The whole squad sat in front of Martin on complete silence.They seemed to be a bit taken aback by the seriousness in this very moment. On top of that many tickets for the match had already been sold and there would probably be a crowd record at Linkoping's arena. For some of them, this would be one of the biggest games they had played so far in their careers. 

”So, we have Jonna, Magda, Janni and Jessica in the defense. Midfielders; Pernille, Claudia, Kristine and Marianne. Reneé and Stina as starting forwards” Martin presented to his team. ”Now, go home, eat a nice dinner and get a good nights sleep and then I'll see you here tomorrow at 14.00 pm. 

The group was scattered and everyone mumbled their ’good byes’ and ’see you tomorrows’. 

”Hey…can we just walk home tonight?” Magda felt a hand on her shoulder, immediately recognizing it as her girlfriend’s. 

The defender turned around and locked eyes with Pernille’s. 

”Walk? What about the car then?”

”We’ll leave it” the Dane shrugged. ”I feel like walking tonight. With you.”

Pernille reached out for Magda and offered her one of her hands. The Swede was not late to accept it, feeling a warm familiar feeling inside when her fingers laced together with the Dane’s. The air outside was thin and crispy. Typical for Sweden in the beginning of October. They started their walk in silence. A comfortable silence though. That kind of silence that only two persons, who felt totally secure with one another could share. 

”Where are you going?” Magda asked when she noticed that Pernille was heading in the wrong direction from where they lived.

”Oh come on, I feel like walking along the water.” the Dane said and dragged her girlfriend in the direction of where the small river ran through Linkoping. 

”But..” the Swede protested. 

”No buts…” Pernille cut her off, swirling them around the next street corner, just to stop under a street light. ”Please?” she added and tilted her head while she fired off one of her most charming smiles. 

Magda found herself totally stunned by her girlfriend’s appearance in that exact moment. The street light got the Dane’s eyes to glimmer and the playful wink they had in them got the Swede to melt. Completely. She couldn’t turn her down. 

”Fine” Magda smiled. ”But on one condition…”

”What?” Pernille whispered, leaning in so their lips almost connected. ”Maybe a little bit of this can convince you?” she continued, fingering at the edge of the collar that belonged to the Linkoping winter jacket Magda was wearing, pulling her in for a soft kiss. 

For a couple of minutes they just stood there, kissing under the street light. Somehow the Dane felt a strange need to put all effort in to the kiss to show all her feelings for Magdalena Eriksson. The kiss got intense, but not intense in a sexual way, as she just fused her lips deeply with Magda’s. 

”I love you so much” she whispered, leaning back to stare deep in to the Swede’s eyes. 

”I love you too…” Magda whispered back, losing herself in to her girlfriend’s eyes that studied her lovingly. 

Once again silence. Pernille lost the track of time as she drowned in to the Swede’s tender eyes. In that moment, all she knew was that she wanted this feeling to last forever. And ever. 

”You know…” Pernille started, her voice low. ”Before we got together for real…I use to walk here almost every night after training. Just thinking about you.” 

Magda raised her eyebrows in surprise of the Dane’s confession. 

”What did you think about?” she half whispered back. 

”What it would be like to kiss you…” Pernille admitted softly. ”Like this…” she leaned in to once again capture the Swede’s lips, forcing them to part slightly with the tip of her tongue. 

When their tongues met Magda let out one of her small, significant whimpers. That sound never failed to affect Pernille Harder, making her want more of her girlfriend every single time. 

”And also...” the Dane breathed after breaking the kiss. ”I thought I was going crazy back then. I was so confused about what I felt for you. Walking here by the water always got me to sort out my thoughts. It made me calm. And it was exactly here, in this spot, where we are standing right now, that I stopped being afraid.”

Magda felt herself holding her breath, as if she almost didn’t dare to breathe, when she heard her girlfriend’s sincere speech. It had really been a roller coaster at that time. She remembered it too well. The Swede had been torn between something that got her to hope the other day and the next she had felt complete misery as she had promised herself to leave it all up to Pernille to set the pace of what was, back then, about to happen between them. 

”Can I just say how happy I am that you decided to not be afraid any longer?” Magda got out, her voice soft. 

”I didn’t decide that.” the Dane responded firmly. ”I just realized that I didn’t have a choice…”

”You are going to make me cry again…” Magda’s voice broke, her eyes started to tear up. 

”I seem to do that a lot these days…” Pernille sighed, circling her thumb in the corner of the Swede’s eye to stop the tears from escaping down her cheek. 

”Stop being so perfect then” Magda said in a small voice, using the back of her hand to dry her tears. 

The Dane framed her face firmly, forcing their eyes together again. 

”You make me feel things I never even thought one person could ever feel…”

Magda swallowed hard, trying to escape her girlfriend’s intense stare. It didn’t go that well as she felt Pernille to steady her grip, cupping her face even more. The Dane let one of her thumbs travel across her lower lip, which got the Swede to close her eyes in anticipation of the feelings that started to crash around inside of her. 

”And you are the person I’d never thought I’d meet…” Magda managed to get out. ”I..just…I..I don’t know..”

She was cut off with an intense kiss. The Swede put her hands over Pernille’s that still cupped her face, urging the Dane to deepen the kiss immediately. Their breathing, hot and heavy, got the outside air to steam around them as they exhaled in to the cold October air. 

”I will never get over this feeling, how good it feels to kiss you” Pernille mumbled as she slowed the pace of the kiss. ”And you know…it’s just how I imagined it to be, when I walked here back then…all I can think about now is I can't believe that I could be so stupid that I waited so long to do it…”

”Don’t stop” Magda pleaded. ”Don’t ever stop kissing me…”

”I won’t” the Dane promised and continued their lips to sync in a firm rhythm. ”God, your lips feels so good, so soft…”

Magda didn’t answer. She just tilted her head even more to get the kiss to deepen further, moaning in to it from the back of her throat. Pernille followed her lead, copying her lips movements as they continued to kiss each other. Maybe it was the most intense kiss they had ever shared, or was it the moment they’d just shared that did it? Magda couldn’t even remember feeling like this ever when they had kissed before. She didn’t want it to stop, she didn’t even want to break it for a second. Not even to go home. She just wanted to stand there, along the riverside in Linkoping in the dark, under the street light, and kiss Pernille Harder forever and ever…


	15. Tell me I’m the only one you want…

”Hey…wake up sleepyhead…”

Magda felt a soft hand cupping her cheek, which got her to slowly open her eyes. 

”Noooo…” she whined, turning in bed only to take the cover with her to snuggle in to. ”I don’t want to…”

”I’ve made you coffee…” the Dane announced, putting the coffee cups at the bedside table. ”We have a big day coming up…so you’ll have to be strong and prepared…”

Pernille reached out, using her hand to force her girlfriend to turn around in order to face her. Magda opened one of her eyes, a suspicious look covered her face. 

”Why are you up so early?”

”It’s not early!” the Dane protested. ”It’s almost 10. And we have a game today!”

The Swede couldn’t help but smile at her girlfriend. Pernille was excited, to say the least. Last night had been incredible, in so many ways. The feeling of what they shared together, what they had built in these two past years, only grew stronger. Magda had started to feel very confident about the fact that they actually were going to make everything work. Every day that feeling did grow somewhat stronger in her heart, making her feel calm and secure about the whole situation they were heading in to. 

”You sure are in a good mood” the Swede smiled, sitting up to lean back at the bed’s headboard. ”Thank you” she added softly as she accepted to take the coffee cup her girlfriend had offered before. 

”I have a feeling that this is going to be a great day!” Pernille said, her voice very convincing. ”In more than one way…” she leaned in for a chaste good morning kiss, enjoying the taste of fresh, warm coffee from Magda’s lips. 

The Swede giggled in to the kiss, reaching up to wrap her coffee cup free hand, around the Dane’s neck. 

”Did you sleep well?” she asked, as she leaned back to lock eyes with her girlfriend, her voice a little raspier than usual this time of the day. 

”The best” Pernille whispered back, leaning in again to press a soft kiss in the corner of Magda’s mouth. ”You?”

”Mmm…” the Swede nodded, taking another sip of coffee as she leaned back again. ”Better than in a long time actually.”

”That’s good!” the Dane replied smiling. ”So, am I going to see any of those defending skills you showed last week when you took me down minus the whole blacking out-thing?”

”Only if you promise to make sure that you and your dude’s up in our offensive are going to score…”

”I’ll do my best” Pernille said, wiggling her eyebrows playfully. 

”You always do” the Swede said tenderly, pulling up her legs, to rest her hands, holding the coffee cup upon her knees. ”So, do you want me to make you some oat meal pancakes for breakfast? I think we have some fresh blueberries and some cottage cheese in the fridge.”

”I would love that!” the Dane nodded eagerly. 

Magda’s serious breakfast skills included some of Pernille Harders favorites, oat meal pancakes with cinnamon and genuine vanilla powder. The absolute best pre game breakfast if you asked the Dane herself. 

”Well, then I better get to work!” Magda opted to get out of bed, throwing the beds cover to the side. 

”Ooh…” Pernille raised her eyebrows in a meaningful look when her girlfriends bare body came in to view. ”You sleep naked?” she pretended to act totally surprised, her voice had a strong hint of flirtatious in it. 

”Oh, did I?” the Swede played along, looking down at herself. ”I’m sorry, I totally must have forgot to put on my PJ’s last night…”

The Dane’s face formed in to a mischievous smile as she let her eyes wander quickly up and down.

”Can a simple girl like me make a wish?” Pernille’s voice turned husky, scooting her body closer.

”What?” Magda whispered when The Dane was close enough to wrap her arms around her. 

The Swede closed her eyes when Pernille’s hands started to massage her shoulder blades using her palms to kneed her muscles tenderly. The Dane buried her face in to the crook of Magda’s neck inhaling her sweet scent. 

”Can the chef cook naked?” 

The moment later Magda started to giggle when her girlfriend tickled her, which got her to squirm like a worm in Pernille’s arms. 

”Stop it!” she squeaked, still laughing. ”You know I can’t take that!”

”Is that a yes?” the Dane grinned, looking very pleased with herself. 

”Well…” Magda got up, moving quickly and before Pernille knew what hit her, she had straddled the Dane’s waist smoothly. 

The Swede cupped her girlfriend’s face firmly as she dove in for a kiss. Magda forced Pernille’s lips to part, which got the kiss to intensify quickly, small whimpers escaping from both of them. When Magda felt Pernille’s hands started to move up and down her thighs she broke the kiss, looking down with amusement at her girlfriend.

”We’ll see what we can do about that…” she winked before she climbed off the bed, leaving the Dane to fall back against the mattress. 

”You’re evil…” she groaned and grabbed a pillow to cover her face in frustration which got Magda to laugh out loud. 

”You can’t wear me out before the game you know” she announced, standing in the doorway with hands on her hips. ”Get up now Harder, let’s have some breakfast!”

___________________________________________________________________

”Great moments are born from great opportunities, and that's what we have here today girls. A really great opportunity. There are a lot of people out here who probably believe that we are the least likely candidates to be successful in this game...Now they're bigger and they got athletes and pros in their team with a lot more experience than us, we can see that and so can everybody else. But nobody can see the intangible with us…so, be the intangible out there today. Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all the time thing. Now we’re gonna show everybody out there that we just don't win once in a while; we don't do things right once in a while; we do them right all the time. Because winning is our habit.”

It was deadly silent in the locker room. Everyone seemed to be a bit taken aback by Magdalena Eriksson’s last words before they were about to enter the arena. Never had their team captain delivered such a great speech before a game. Pernille Harder was totally blown away by her girlfriend’s heroic speech. It was by far, the best team captain speech, she had ever heard in her carrier and something told her that it would probably still be the best and the most memorable one when she finished her career sometime in the future.

”Are you with me or what?” Magda finished and let her eyes wander around the group.

”GO TEAM!” they huddled up one last time and that was it. 

Pernille saw Martin put his arms around her girlfriend’s shoulder, obviously very impressed with her doings as the team captain. When he let her go she couldn’t help but approach the Swede to take her hand just to give it a loving squeeze making sure to do it very discreetly.

”Wow” she said, her voice full of admiration. ”Just…wow.”

They smiled appreciatively at each other before letting go of each other’s hands. The Dane turned around and walked back in line to prepare for a line up leaving Magda up front so she could lead her team out in the arena. FC Rosengard, a team full of stars in the Swedish football league. They had players such as Ali Riley, Ella Masar and Lotta Schelin. And of course they had Marta. The brazilian world star player that had been one of Pernille Harders greatest role model and inspiration throughout the years. They had played against each other three times this season already. Rosengard had won two out of three. The third one was a draw, 1-1. Rosengard had been dominating the Swedish league for several years, they were the league’s giants. Linkoping had come to be their biggest threat this year. No one had seen that coming. But here they were. The team that would win this game, were probably this years league title winner. So there was a lot at stake here. When they walked in to the arena the noise from the crowd hit Pernille Harders ears like music. With a crowd record, over 6000 people had come out here today to support them, despite the weather that offered cold, stubborn October rain and some northern winds, this was definitely going to be a game to remember. 

The game was just as intense and hard as everyone had been expecting. Both teams fought for their lives out there. There were close combats and rough tackles on the boundary of what was allowed before yellow cards appeared. Magda pushed and pepped her colleagues in the defense to perform their absolute best when it was needed and their collaboration was completely flawless for most part of the 90 minutes. 

Pernille and her colleagues up front had to take a lot of roughness and could probably look forward to a lot of bruises the following day. Rosengard had studied the Dane very carefully so it seemed. She didn’t have a lot of surface to move on and they were highlighting her every move. It wasn't until match minute 81’ she succeeded to get away and with a quick dribble she managed to shake off her defender and made a near perfect pass to Kristine Minde who, without getting any perfect hit in the shot, still managed to get it into the goal behind the goalkeeper. The crowd went crazy, cheering like maniacs, Pernille fell into the grass with both exhaustion and relief, beating her fists in the grass before she got up and celebrated with her teammates. 

”Good job Harder” she felt a hand on her shoulder, turning her around. 

Her girlfriend greeted her with a wide and bright smile and they hugged tightly before returning to their positions. Rosengard pushed hard for an equalizer but the Linkoping defense weren’t about to give up this battle. They threw themselves in front of every shot that was made, they ran like gazelles even if it wasn’t necessary every time and when Magda got challenged, one on one, by no other than Marta and took the brazilian down with an almost perfect tackle, the crowd cheered just as loud as when they had scored. The moment later the referee blowed her whistle and the game was over! Linkoping 1, Rosengard 0. Magda stayed in the grass, totally exhausted, trying to recover. Seconds later she felt herself being attacked by her teammates and they celebrated their victory in a huddle down in the grass. Three games left of the season, they were up 5 points, but the most important thing for them all was that they had managed to win against Rosengard. 

”We did it!” Pernille helped her girlfriend upon her feet again before pulling her in to a hug, burying her face in the Swede’s neck. ”You were outstanding!”

”You too” Magda mumbled, she couldn’t help but pressing her lips softly against the Dane’s cheek. ”Oh God I’m so tired…I'm not sure my legs will carry me all the way to the locker room…it feels like I’m going to fall…” 

”I’ll catch you…” Pernille whispered in her girlfriend’s ear. ”Always…”

Magda leaned back slightly and when their eyes met her heart fluttered. The love she felt for the Dane in that very moment was totally and utterly indescribable. If anyone had begged her to describe her feelings right now she wasn’t sure she would be able to do it. What they were about to achieve in their careers together was something she would remember forever. Magda really hoped that they would be able to do it again in the future. In another team, in another country. Pernille Harders perfect white toothed smile made her weak in her knees and all she wanted to do right then and there was to fall in to the Dane’s arms and give in to her tiredness. 

They reluctantly pulled apart when Martin approached the couple. 

”I’m so proud of you both” he smiled and put one arm around each of their shoulders. ”Great work!” 

”It wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for you Martin” Pernille said honestly. ”But we’re not done yet. Three more games to play.”

”Celebrate tonight” he said. ”You deserve it.” he added before he left them again. 

”I have a surprise for you” Pernille announced with a low voice, closing the distant between them again. 

Magda raised her eyebrows, her eyes immediately turning expectant.

”You do?”

”Mm-mm!” the Dane nodded firmly. 

”What is it then?” the Swede asked curiously. 

”You’ll see…” Pernille reached for her hand, circling her thumbs on the upper side of it. 

”Is it something that’s going to make me cry again?” Magda said, trying to make a joke. 

”I hope not! But I think you should stop guessing and hit the shower. It will save us some valuable time…”

A wide and bright smile started to form in the Swede’s face, which quickly reached her eyes. Pernille couldn’t help but copy the smile. 

”Harder!” someone shouted from the field’s sideline. ”Can we get an interview?”

The Dane turned her head, immediately recognizing the reporter from a Swedish sports channel. 

”Catch you later?” she squeezed her girlfriend’s arm lightly. ”Ten minutes?”

Magda nodded her response, seeing her girlfriend jogging out to meet the journalist. Suddenly she didn't feel so tired anymore. She wondered what her girlfriend was up to now…the anticipation started to grow stronger inside of her. 

___________________________________________________________________

”Come on. Let’s go!”

Magda giggled at her girlfriend’s eager to get out from the arena. 

”You’re sure in a hurry this evening Harder…”

”I promise to slow things down later” the Dane smirked, looking awfully pleased all of a sudden. ”But let’s just say that I’m in a hurry to take _things _slow…”

”Are we going home?” the Swede asked.

”You’re asking too many questions…let’s go!”

Pernille dragged Magda toward their car, opened the door and almost pushed her girlfriend in to it. The Swede giggled softly again but obeyed willingly and sat down in the passenger seat. The Dane ran around quickly and got in to start the car. She drove in silence and ten minutes later the car stopped near the city centre of Linkoping. 

”Where are you taking me?” the Swede asked again, now confused. 

”Let’s just say we are not sleeping at home tonight” Pernille said, shooting her girlfriend and meaningful look. ”Come with me” she said and opened the door to the back seat grabbing a hold of her bag. 

”But…I don’t have my toothbrush with me!” Magda said. 

”You do” her girlfriend replied instantly, pointing at her bag. ”You got everything you need, I promise.” she added with a playful wink. 

The Dane almost pushed her girlfriend in front of her toward the building in front of them. 

”Are you kidding me?” Magda questioned with doubt in her voice. ”This is the most expensive hotel in town.”

”I’m not kidding.” Pernille said firmly with a smile. ”I’ve booked the roof suite. We have a private roof pool.”

”You didn’t?” 

”I did. Are we going to stand out here or can we get inside? It’s cold.”

”I don’t have my bikini.”

The Dane’s smile turned very wide.

”You don’t need one. I just told you…” she leaned in, dangerously close with her lips to her girlfriend’s mouth. ”It’s a private pool….” 

___________________________________________________________________

”Mmmm!” Magda hummed softly when her back hit the wall of the pool. The water was just enough hot to work magic at her stiff muscles. 

”Good, huh?” the Dane slid smoothly in the water before she disappeared under the water, only to resume above the water surface, a moment later. 

”I can’t believe you did this” the Swede mumbled, reaching out for Pernille’s arm bringing her close. 

”Only the best is good enough for you…”

Magda tilted her head, pulling her girlfriend even closer and when their lips connected she didn’t even bother to hold back the moan that escaped her mouth. The kiss hadn't even deepened that much yet but just the feeling of the Dane’s lips against her own got her to shiver, despite the hot water surrounding their bodies. 

”Oh God…” Magda sighed, when her girlfriend’s tongue demanded a soft entrance to her mouth. ”You…you…are so good at this…I just love making out with you…”

Pernille cupped the Swede’s face, with such tender, in that moment. 

”_We _are good at this…” she mumbled before she resumed to kiss her girlfriend. 

Neither of them quickened the pace in the kiss. It was painfully slow, tongues swirling, gently wrestling each other. Magda’s hands wrapped in to the Dane’s damp hair, pressing her body closer. 

”Tell me I’m the only one you want…” the Swede’s words came out in a whisper which got Pernille to freeze and break the kiss. 

”What? Why are you saying that..?” 

”Just…tell me…please” Magda pleaded. ”I..I..need you to tell me that I’m the only one…”

The Dane saw something that she only could read as desperation the Swede’s eyes. She couldn’t believe the change in their relationship since it had been known to them both that a long distance relationship were about to happen. Before, it had been Magda who’s been having some kind of power. That was because she had acted more confidently in their relationship in the beginning. But now it was now the exactopposite. The Dane did not know if she would embrace the change or if she even liked to be in this position. But one thing she really knew was that her girlfriend really needed to hear the answer of what she asked for in this very moment. 

”Magdalena” she started, staring at the Swede firmly. ”You are my _everything. _I love you. I can’t even imagine being without you. You are the only one. The only one I ever want this way…” she dove in, kissing Magda with frenzy, her mission to convince her girlfriend was the only thing on her mind. 

The Swede threw her hands back up over her head, to grip the edges of the pool. 

”The thought of anyone else touching you like this makes me crazy” Pernille whispered, totally out of breath. ”I can’t stand it. Tell _me _that I’m the only one _you _want.”

”Oh baby…” Magda gasped when the Dane, without even waiting for her to answer, leaned in to nibble her ear. ”I want you all the time…” she breathed. ”I’ve never wanted anyone like I want you.” 

”God I love you so much” Pernille sighed, breathing straight in to the Swede’s ear. 

”Me too…me too…please…I just…can’t we just…”

Everything around them seemed to fade out. Everything they cared about at that moment was each other. Pernille pushed Magda distinctly against the pool’s wall determined to prove every word that was said earlier…

___________________________________________________________________

Afterwards, they were both lying in the hotel bed, all wrapped up in each other, not sure where the other person ended and where the other began…silence had settled in, their breaths had returned to normal. 

"Hey" Pernille said softly and awaked Magda from what seemed like a drifting mind. "What is going on in that pretty little head of yours?"

"Huh?" the Swede said, looking all confused as she seemed to come back to reality again.

"You okay?" the Dane asked and looked cautiously at Magda. "You seemed like you were millions miles away just now."

The Swede shrugged and gave Pernille a reassuring smile before she snuggled up close to the Dane again and placed her head on Pernille's chest.

"I was just thinking about how proud of you I am" she whispered and threw her arm across the Dane's stomach. "And how glad I am to be with you."

Pernille kissed the top of the Swede's head softly and smiled in to the dark blonde hair as she did.

"Right back at you Eriksson…"


	16. We can’t do this here…

”I’m leaving now…”

It was early morning. 6.00 am and the darkness in the apartment was evident in Sweden October mornings like these. Pernille was going to Denmark to participate in a TV show the same evening to talk about being a role model in football for younger girls. It was Monday morning, and they had the day off from football training, but the rest of the team were going to do some recovery activities in water later on. 

”I don’t want you to leave…” Magda whispered, her voice still sleepy. ”When will you be back?” she asked, turning in bed to face the Dane that sat next to her on the bedside. 

”I’ll be back tomorrow night in the time for our training session” Pernille responded with a small smile, cupping the Swede’s face only to circle her thumb gently in the corner of her girlfriend’s mouth. 

Magda stretched her body before she covered the Dane’s hand on her cheek with her own, playing tenderly with her girlfriend’s fingers. 

”I’ll miss you…” she got up just enough to place a soft kiss on to Pernille’s lips, wrapping her hands around the Dane’s neck, forcing her to follow her down as she fell back in to her pillow again. 

”I’ll miss you too…” Pernille whispered, making sure to take the opportunity to deepen the kiss a little. 

The Swede smiled lazily in to the kiss. 

”Text me later?” she questioned when they broke the kiss. 

”I promise” the Dane nodded, standing up getting ready to leave. 

She stopped in the doorway for a few seconds, letting her eyes rest at the vision of her girlfriend, who still was laying in their bed. 

”I love you…” 

Magda felt her heart skip a few beats upon hearing the sincere whisper that hit her ears through the dark room. 

”I love you too…” 

___________________________________________________________________

”Hey, do you want to come over for dinner later?” Fridolina asked when they got dressed after recovery training in the pool, later that same afternoon. ”I mean, since Pernille’s in Denmark I thought I could spoil my best friend with a nice home cooked dinner.”

”I would love that!” Magda responded happily. ”It would actually be nice to _not_ have to cook for once.”

Fridolina laughed at her friend’s comment. 

”It’s your own fault you know. You spoil your girlfriend too much. I happen to know that she can cook.” 

”I know” Magda smiled. ”But I love to take care of her…in more than one way…”

”OK, too much information” Fridolina scrunched her face. 

Magda giggled at her friend’s facial expression. 

”Why don’t I go with you right now? I don’t have to go home before. We could get the groceries together. At least let me pay for some.” 

”Yes and no” the tall midfielder answered. ”You can go with me right now but you don’t have to pay. Dinner’s on me! Come on, let’s go!” 

The two friends talked happily and openly to each other as they rode their bikes through the city. Fridolina told Magda that she was going to try a new recipe for Italian pasta with saffron and shrimps in garlic. The midfielder was well known for her cooking skills, so what she told the defender suddenly got her very hungry for dinner.

”So, have you signed with that agency you talked about last week?” Fridolina asked while chopping garlic into small pieces. 

”Uuumm…no.” Magda responded thoughtfully, sitting by her friend’s dinner table, eating sticks of cucumber. ”Pernille thinks I should though. I guess it’s a good idea.”

”And your dad?” 

”My dad?” the defender raised her eyebrows. 

”I know he is very much involved with your career Magda…”

”Actually, he doesn’t know anything yet…” 

”Really?” now it was Fridolina’s turn to raise eyebrows. 

”I don’t know…I feel that the things happening right now is something I want to take care of myself. I’ve just told my sister. And you.”

”Well, I think you should sign. I’ve heard a lot of good things about that agency.”

”Yeah, me too. It just scares me in some weird way.”

”Why?” Fridolina frowned and stopped her action with the knife she had in her hand. 

”I don’t know” Magda tried to explain, taking a bite from one of the cucumber sticks, chewing at it thoughtfully. ”Why should I? It just feels silly to sign an agent in a way. I can’t even see which team would be interested in me?”

”You’re kidding, right?” the midfielder put the knife down at the counter and walked up to her friend and kneeled in front of her. ”You are a national team player Magda. Which team would _not _be interested in you? Beside, in a week you can add a Swedish League gold medal to your resume. With a team you have captained the whole season. With the honor if I may add something to that.”

Magda stifled a laugh, looking up to meet her best friend’s eyes. 

”You just say that to make me feel better” she teased. ”And the thing you mentioned about the gold medal…we still have to win a couple of games before we can be sure of that.”

”Magda!” the midfielder rolled her eyes. ”Just sign with the agency!”

”I will, i will.” the defender held up her hands in resignation. 

”OK, taste this now” Fridolina pulled out one of the kitchen drawers to take out a spoon. ”Good?”

Magda received the spoon and put it in her mouth, her face showing instant pleasure. 

”Mm-mm-mmm! This must be what heaven tastes like!” 

”Haha!” the midfielder laughed. ”I take that as a yes. Well, then it’s done. Let’s eat!”

___________________________________________________________________

Later, when Magda was at home, standing in the apartment’s bathroom, brushing her teeth, her phone rang. She spit out the remnants of the toothpaste in the sink and hurried into the bedroom where her phone lay on the nightstand table. A wide smile formed in her face when she saw who the caller was.

”Hey you…” she answered and plopped herself down at the bed with a happy sigh. 

”Hey…I didn’t wake you, did I?” the Dane said gently. 

”No, I just got home actually. Frido invited me for dinner and then we sat and talked for a while.”

”OK, good!” the Dane, her voice relieved. ”I was hoping I would catch you before bed”

”You sound tired” the Swede said worryingly. ”You OK?”

”I am now…” Pernille whispered softly in to the phone. ”It’s been a crazy day. Haven’t got the chance to sit down and breath for one second. Or so it feels…”

Magda frowned when she heard her girlfriend grunt. 

”Our bed feels empty and suddenly too big for just one person without you here…” she said softly. 

”Yeah..you know what?” the Dane’s voice got husky. ”I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep without you next to me…”

”Me neither” the Swede sighed. ”I’m glad that we got the chance to start practice this, sleeping alone-thing, with just one night to start with…it’s just enough for now…”

”It’s weird though” Pernille said, her voice low. ”We have done this a lot these two past years…sleeping without each other I mean. It just feels more…for real now than before. I don’t know…”

”I know what you mean…” Magda replied knowingly. 

”It’s a good thing that I absolutely _love _to hear your voice…” the Dane said lovingly. "For future good night-conversations I mean..."

”Are you trying to butter me up?” the Swede grinned. ”Cause if you do…I’ll have to tell you…it’s working very well…”

”I don’t even need to try…” Pernille said, her voice sincere. ”It’s the truth…”

Hearing the Dane’s confession got Magda’s smile to grow wide, causing her to feel a little dorky laying alone, smiling like a goof, in their dark bedroom. ”God, I’m so whipped” she thought to herself…

”I really do love you, you know that?” she sighed out. 

”That’s a good thing…” Pernille whispered. ”Because I _really _love you too…”

They talked for a while about how the Dane’s TV interview had went and Magda told her girlfriend about the dinner Fridolina had made for her and what they had talked about. After a fairly long procedure of saying goodnight, neither of them wanting to hang up, Magda pulled the bed’s cover up to her chin to get some well-needed sleep. Glad to feel more like herself again as she found herself to be more confident in the situation with the Dane. She thought about the fact how hard things actually could be when you were so in love with someone…but also how easy things were in another way. She was still amazed by the whole in-love-feeling, it was definitely something she hadn’t been counting on when she moved here almost four years ago. Magda knew that the most people that met her got the impression of her to be a rather tough and very self-confident person. She had probably taken on that role most often and had people around her believing a lot that might not always be right. It was only a simple fact that Pernille Harder was the first person ever that had seen right through it and for the first time in her life she had dared to show who she really was…

___________________________________________________________________

When the Dane entered the locker room the day after, just in time for their training session, Magda felt her whole body tingle in anticipation. Pernille who was dressed in black Linkoping sweats, a pair of white PUMA sneakers and a black hoodie, was looking very relaxed and somewhat…cool. Her blonde hair was put up in that significant, sloppy and messy bun which was very sexy according to Magda.The Dane popped herself down in her own spot across the room, immediately searching through it, only to fire off a million dollar smile when her eyes locked with her girlfriend’s. She winked discreetly, a silent hello, looking very pleased with the reaction from the Swede. Magda blushed slightly, quickly looking down at her feet as she didn’t want anyone of their teammates to see what affect her girlfriend’s appearance had on her. 

”Ok girls” Martin started when they were all gathered out in the arena for their first training session this week. ”Today we are going to work on some corners, free kicks and some quick turnovers to start aggressive counter-attacks. I believe we will benefit greatly from that sort of things this weekend when we play against Vittsjo. At least from what I’ve seen from them upon til now. You can start by warming up.”

The group obeyed immediately and started to move, jogging around the arena, while the usual chatter with one another started. 

”Hi…” the Dane said, her voice low, poking Magda playfully in her side as they started to run. 

”Stop doing that…” the Swede warned, although she didn’t mind the attention at all. 

”What?” 

”Don’t undress me with your eyes like that…” Magda whispered, making sure no one else would hear their conversation. 

”I would _never _do such thing!” Pernille pretended to be hurt by the horrible accusation her girlfriend shot at her. 

The Swede giggled, raising her eyebrows only to give her girlfriend a very meaningful look. 

”You _so _do! You think you are so cool and not obvious at all…” 

”Don’t pretend you mind it though…” the Dane smirked. ”I have to say I prefer the real thing, but I could go for this a couple of hours ahead…”

Magda laughed softly, shaking her head in amusement. 

”Can’t complain about that confidence of yours…” 

”You love it…” Pernille wriggled her eyebrows and took charge to run ahead, turning her head to give the Swede one last wink, telling her silently that she couldn’t wait for the training session to be over so they could go home. 

___________________________________________________________________

”Uuuff!”

Too busy attacking each other’s lips with their mouths, they didn’t pay enough attention to the doorstep, only to fall and stumble in to the hallway of their apartment. Magda fell on her back over their shoes, but didn’t care the slightest about the uncomfortable feeling of having them sticking in to her back, as the Dane worked her magic at her neck with her lips. 

”Close the door!” she urged, already totally out of breath, which got Pernille to get up quickly and slam the door shut before she returned down on the floor to hover over her girlfriend that welcomed her back to her duties by spreading her legs to give the Dane the space she needed to settle in. 

Magda grabbed a steady hold of Pernille’s waist, desperately wanting to get their lower body parts closer together. The Dane’s demanding tongue worked frantically to win what almost seemed like a battle with the Swede’s. 

”Oh my God…” Pernille sighed out, trying to control her breathing by breaking the heavy and hot make out session for a short moment. 

”Don’t stop…” Magda almost whined, leaning up to fist some fabric from her girlfriend’s sweater, to drag her down toward her again. 

”I won’t…” Pernille promised and parted her lips again to resume to the intensive kiss, while her hand worked on the zipper to Magda’s training jacket to free her from the clothing which prevented her hands to feel that soft skin she had been forced to manage without since last morning. 

She parted the jacket when the zipper was down, reaching out to push her hand down to the hem of the Swede’s t-shirt. 

”Ooooh…” Magda couldn’t control the sounds coming from the back of her throat when Pernille’s fingers sprawled across her lower stomach. 

”So sexy…” the Dane breathed in to her ear. ”I love when you sound like that…” she scooted down the Swede’s body, pushing up the t-shirt a little higher, sighing out of pleasure when more skin came in to view. 

”I love when you touch me like that” Magda managed to get out, when Pernille started to kiss her stomach, attacking the soft skin with featherlight kisses. ”I missed you last night…”

”Me too” the Dane mumbled, as she kissed her way back up to her girlfriend’s lips again, hovering just above them, hot and heavy breathing straight in to the Swede’s mouth. ”I love you…” she whispered, cupping one side of her girlfriend’s face firmly, letting her thumb brush gently over Magda’s lower lip. 

Her eyes widened in surprise when the Swede parted her lips, reaching out with her tongue to force her thumb inside her mouth, sucking the tip of it demandingly. Not even a second later Magda’s hands travelled down to to the hem of the Dane’s hoodie, forcing it up and over her head, taking the t-shirt under with it at the same time. 

”We can’t do this here…” Pernille leaned back, letting her eyes wander around them first before she turned her head back to face Magda. ”I can’t have sex with you surrounded by a bunch of sweaty, stinky football shoes…”

They locked eyes, giving each other meaningful looks and then they bursted out in to laughter. 

”Come on. Get up” the Dane offered her girlfriend her hands to help her up on her feet. 

The Swede stretched out her hands, feeling herself being lifted off the ground, only to crash in to Pernille’s half naked well-trained body, standing up straight. She hurried to shove her t-shirt over her head before staring mischievously straight in to the Dane’s eyes. 

”I’ll race you to the bedroom...?” 


	17. We’ll be just fine...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're aiming for that gold medal now people...end of the football season 2016 in Sweden.

”We have to stop…they will be here any minute now…”

”You’re free…to…stop…at any time…”

”Oh…Oh…I..”

They were on their bed. Another heavy make out session with too much bare skin involved was taken place. It was happening right now and Magda had as usual, turned in to complete mush and was obviously too ’weak’ to stop it. Truth be told, she didn’t want it to stop, although they really should. The Dane was raw in her mission, feeling her up with strong and determined hands roaming the outside of her right thigh. Up and down. And she couldn’t help when she reflexively arched her back when Pernille took a steady hold of her waist, just above her hip. Magda’s tank top slid up her body by its own force leaving more for the Dane’s hands to explore. She felt Pernille’s fingers travel fast across her ribcage up her body. 

”I want you…” the Dane’s voice hoarse as the whisper reached her girlfriend’s ear. ”Do you want me to just...”

Pernille was cut off and rewarded with a loud moan from the Swede when she attached her lips on to, what she had come to know, her girlfriend’s most sensitive spot at her neck, just below the ear. 

”Oh God! What are you doing to me…” Magda gasped, sliding her hand under her girlfriend’s arm only to land it on her back, utterly desperate to get them closer together. 

”You really don’t know baby…?” 

She could literally _hear _the smirk. The Swede opened her eyes, only to be greeted with that significant Pernille Harder-look covering her girlfriend’s face, beaming at her with that self confidence that made her absolutely crazy with want. Magda had already lost all her senses, leaving her with no strength to even bother to quip something clever back. She had invited Fridolina, Stina and Tove over for dinner this Friday night to watch and analyze their last game against Vittsjo on video to prepare for the upcoming game this Sunday. And they would probably be arriving any minute now. In this very moment she cursed her own stupidity for even giving them the invitation. Luckily, she had just finished making the dinner when the Dane had got home, only to seduce her in the kitchen which had got them to end up here, in their bed. Magda didn’t even know when or how it had happened, but the significant part of her clothing was probably somewhere to be found on the floor between the kitchen and their bedroom.

”I can make it real quick…” Pernille breathed in to her mouth as if she was reading her girlfriend’s mind. ”If I just do it _this_…” the Dane shifted slightly, getting up on her knees in order to make a move. 

Magda’s eyes widened in surprise as a result when the Dane suddenly let one of her hands travel down south in fast speed. Upon seeing the Swede’s mouth formed in to that perfectly shaped ’O’ Pernille felt _very_ pleased to feel the reaction when Magda’s body also twitched as a consequence from her actions.And just when the Swede dug her nails in to her shoulder blades…the doorbell rang. 

Both of them froze, their bodies turned stiff as they quickly tried to steady their breaths. 

”Did you lock the door when you got home?” Magda’s facial expression suddenly looked alarmed.

”What? I don’t remember…” the Dane frowned. 

”Get up!” the Swede stressed, pushing Pernille off of her. ”You have to get out. Now!”

”Why?” the Dane was confused. 

”Please, just get out!” Magda pleaded. ”If you didn’t lock the door they’re going to…”

”Hello!” they heard Fridolina’s familiar voice followed by a discreet slam from when the door shut behind her. 

The Swede looked somewhat terrified, begging her girlfriend with pleading eyes to just get out from their bedroom to not reveal what had prevented them from opening the door from the beginning. Pernille, who was still was pretty decent in her clothing, soon got the hint and rushed out to greet their friends, frantically fixing her hair on her way out. 

”There you are!” Stina said while kicking off her shoes in the hallway. ”The door was open so…”

”Yeah, come in!” Pernille said, trying to act as casual as possible, hoping that their friends wouldn’t noticed her uneven breathing and what she believed to be her messy hairstyle. ”Magda is just…hmm…she’s coming, she’s just…”

Luckily for Pernille Tove decided to show up in that moment so she was interrupted in her rambling explanation about why her girlfriend wasn’t nowhere to be seen yet. Stina and Fridolina didn’t seem to have noticed her poor attempts to cover up something that would have been very obvious to found out if they had let her go on. The Dane relaxed, turned and walked back in to the apartment’s living room. 

”Do you guys want anything to drink?” she asked. ”I can offer you some mineral water and Coke Zero.” 

”Definitely Coke!” the three girls said in unison which got the Dane to laugh. 

”Here you go” she said, putting glasses and the bottle on the kitchen table. ”I’ll be right back. Just going to check what is taking Magda so long.”

She heard her friends started chattering perkily with one another when she walked back to the bedroom to check on Magda. She caught the Swede in action to brush her hair, standing in front of the mirror. 

”You OK?” she asked, somewhat hesitant, as she entered their bedroom, walking up to her girlfriend. 

The Dane felt a little guilty about the whole situation since she was the one who had initiated everything from the beginning even though the risk of being interrupted had been pretty obvious. 

”Look…I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to…”

”Stop!” Magda turned around, putting her arms around her girlfriend’s neck. ”You have nothing to be sorry about…”

The Dane lifted her head to meet the Swede’s loving gaze. Pernille looked just like a guilty child who had been doing something they shouldn't. 

”Hey…” Magda whispered, resting her forehead against Pernille’s. ”I’m not going to let you apologize for wanting me. I love you for that…”

The Dane leaned back slightly as she gained her confidence now that she knew Magda didn’t seem particularly bothered about the whole thing.

”You do?”

”I do…” 

Pernille tilted her head a little, just enough for a soft kiss, humming appreciatively in to it. 

”That’s good to know…”

”Mm-mm!” Magda nodded, without breaking the kiss. Instead she wrapped both her hands in to her girlfriend’s hair as the kiss deepened quickly. 

”OK, so you don’t mind me doing this then?” the Dane whispered, a little out of breath in to the Swede's ear when she broke the kiss a few seconds later. 

”What?” 

Pernille let her hands drop from Magda’s lower back down her body, pinching her behind playfully, laughing when the Swede squeaked out in surprise of her action. Magda made a face, sticking her tongue out before reaching out to poke the Dane in the side with her finger. Pernille jumped out of the way smoothly to avoid her girlfriend’s attempt to get a revenge and smirked. The Dane felt her heart flutter like crazy when their eyes locked, once again overwhelmed with the love she felt for Magdalena Eriksson. For a few seconds they just allowed themselves to drown in each other’s gazes before they realized that they probably were going to have to go back out to their friends again before they started to wonder where they had gone. 

”Shall we?” Pernille offered the Swede one of her hands who took it reluctantly and sighed.

”I guess I should be the one saying I’m sorry for inviting people over instead of letting you have your way with me tonight…”

”I’m still gonna have my way with you…” the Dane mumbled, turning Magda around to put her arms around her when they went back out toward the living room. ”Just a little later than I’d planned for…”

________________________________________________________________________

”Oh! That tackle is ugly…didn’t that hurt?” 

Fridolina’s eyes widened as she looked closely on the TV screen when Pernille fell down in the grass after a close combat with one of Vittsjos defenders from their game earlier in the season. After a delicious dinner, which they had praised Magda for like a billion times by now, they had gathered in the couch to watch the game and eat some popcorn. The conditions were simple, if Linkoping won their game against Vittsjo and Rosengard either lost or got a draw against Eskilstuna, it all would be a done deal. Linkoping would in that case already have won the league, even if there still were two games left to play after this weekend. 

”She did that on purpose” Magda scrunched her face. ”She so late in with that tackle and she really angles her shoe up at your leg, just like she’s aiming to hurt you…”she continued, throwing a hand back up behind her head to squeeze her girlfriend’s knee gently. 

The Swede sat on the floor, eating popcorn occasionally as she was leaning back in to her girlfriend’s legs, who was sitting comfortably in the couch next to Fridolina. Stina and Tove was sitting on the other couch, deeply concentrated in what happened on the screen. 

”OK, it probably did hurt a little” the Dane said thoughtfully when she saw herself on the screen, still lying on the ground to recover after that reckless tackle. ”She’s not very fast though, I will remember that on Sunday…”

”I can’t believe she didn’t get a card for that” Tove pointed out. ”The referee must have been blind or something…”

”I can’t believe we won this game with 8-0” Stina said amusedly. ”My first hat trick. And you Magda, this has to be one of your best games ever, except for the game against Rosengard last weekend. That game was a massive performance from you! But the Vittsjo-game…you did score directly at one of your corner shots AND you made a perfect assist to Kristine for the 5-0 goal as well. Here it comes but the way - your corner. And…goal!”

All four of them saw when Magda hit the ball with her left foot, in a perfect bow, straight in to the net behind Vittsjos goalkeeper. 

”That’s my girl” Pernille leaned forward, whispering softly in to her girlfriend’s ear. ”That left foot is going to leave a big impression in this world, mark my words” she added, putting one arm around Magda from behind, hugging her tightly before she kissed the Swede’s cheek tenderly. 

Magda blushed and smiled shyly up at her girlfriend after hearing Pernille praise her performance showing on the screen. 

”Yeah, that left foot AND those rock hard abs of yours!” Fridolina winked and reached for the popcorn. 

”I really hope so! I work hard to keep these in shape you know” the defender lifted her t-shirt up slightly to flex her abs before she patted herself on the stomach, looking very satisfied. 

Magda’s statement got the other three girls all to laugh out loud. 

”I’ve never met anyone so dedicated to the everyday ab-exercises as you are Magda” Tove said. ”I can’t believe your discipline with that. I wish I were the same…”

Stina nodded her agreement. 

”Couldn’t agree with you more…hmm.”

”I happen to like them very much” the defender replied. ”And what you like, you take care of” she added. 

”Me too!” the Dane shot in to the conversation and wriggled her eyebrows. ”Like them I mean.”

She once again leaned forward and took the opportunity to run her hand along her girlfriend’s toned six-pack. Pernille smirked discreetly at Magda, when she noticed the effect her action had on the Swede. 

They continued to watch and talk about the ongoing game on screen. It was nice to just hang out and even though they all felt the seriousness around their upcoming game, they decided to just enjoy the moment and having fun during what probably would be, their last games together. 

A couple of hours later, when Fridolina, Stina and Tove had left, they lay in their bed, cuddling tenderly after another hot love making-session. 

”That was definitely worth the extra couple hours of wait” Magda sighed, nudging Pernille’s cheek with her nose. 

They were laying face to face, using the same pillow as they were recovering in to normal breathing again. 

”Oh yes it was…” the Dane agreed, freeing Magda from strings of hair in her face using her fingers only to put it behind the Swede’s ear. 

The loving gesture earned Pernille another kiss on the lips from Magda, who took a gentle grip around the Dane’s cheek as she pressed her lips softly on to her girlfriend’s. 

”Can I just say that i absolutely _love _to have sex with you? Definitely one thing on top of my best-things-to-do-in-life list.”

Pernille couldn’t help but laugh at her girlfriend’s comment. 

”What’s your second thing on that list?” she asked, her voice with a strong hint of amusement. 

”That’s easy!” the Swede explained and leaned in close again. ”The second best thing I know in life is…this.” she finished the sentence with another soft kiss. 

”And the third best thing?” the Dane asked, whispering curiously. 

”This…” Magda scooted her body closer, making sure of the fact that Pernille could feel the whole length of her body against her own before she grabbed one of her girlfriend’s strong arms, only to wrap it around herself. ”And then…the fourth thing on my list is to just enjoy being in your arms like this…talking to you about anything and everything.”

”What a coincidence!” the Dane acted surprised. ”I believe that those four things are my favorite things as well!” 

Magda giggled softly and turned around again, asking for a silent permission to sneak one of her smooth legs in between Pernille’s before she put an arm around the Dane’s stomach. A comfortable silence followed, Pernille stroked the arm that was wrapped safely around her stomach gently up and down using her fingertips. 

”The fifth thing on my list is going to be talking with you every night using FaceTime I guess…” 

The Dane stopped her movement, closing her eyes as she took a moment to reflect the meaning of her girlfriend’s words. She tightened her arms around Magda before she responded, kissing the top of her head. 

”I love you so much…”

”I love you too…” the Swede mirrored Pernille’s tight embrace. ”We’ll be fine though…we’ll be just fine…”


	18. Two of my greatest dreams can come true today...

Pernille Harder tried to focus. Game day. The Swedish league could potentially have a winner when this day was over. She was pumped up, the adrenaline had already invaded her body. The Dane had a hard time sitting still and relaxing during the bus trip down to southern Sweden. She had been waiting for this moment since she signed with Linkoping for the first time almost four and half years ago. Pernille forced her leg to stop from bouncing up and down in her seat, she really didn’t want to wake Magda. Her girlfriend slept soundly, leaning against her shoulder. She turned her head, letting her eyes linger on to the sleeping Swede in an attempt to calm herself down a bit. It actually helped a little. She felt peace taking over. The effect Magdalena Eriksson had on her…she leaned forward, careful not to wake her girlfriend, just to inhale the familiar scent. The Dane was a bit taken aback by a sudden rough sadness that seemed to reach in to her mind. 

”Apparently it’s me that’s a bit unbalanced at the moment” she thought to herself. Pernille took a few deep breaths, leaning back in her seat again. Maybe it was a mix of everything that had been and was going on right now. She carefully laced her fingers together vid Magda’s, desperate to feel that inner peace again. The Dane placed the Swede’s hand in to her own, leaning them to rest on her leg. Magda stirred slightly in her sleep, cuddling Pernille’s shoulder unconsciously. A sudden impulse got Pernille to almost pinch her own arm, just to make sure that this wasn’t a dream. Never ever had she lied to Magda the times she had tried to tell her how lucky she was over the fact that they had met. She still couldn’t believe it. The Dane let her mind wander back in time as she studied her sleeping girlfriend when thoughts of their first kiss suddenly invaded her mind…

_”You’re shaking…”_

_Magda’s hand on her arm, trying to steady her. Literally. The Swede smile was cautious yet tender, cute dimples playing in the corners of her mouth. _

_”I-I am?” _

_”You do…” _

_They were in Magda’s kitchen, facing each other, only separated by the kitchen counter. Both of them leaning forward, their upper bodies hovering over the counter, almost swaying. The room was dark but Pernille could swear that the street light just outside the window, caused the Swede’s eyes to glimmer faintly. It had been deadly quiet upon until that moment when Magda, with that whisper, had noted that she was shaking. _

_”You’re not cold are you?” _

_”No..no..” the Dane tried to swallow her nervousness, her mouth just as dry as she imagined the Sahara desert to be without rain for several months. _

_She had dreamt about this for days. How it would feel to kiss the Swede. Pernille have had this scene on repeat in her head, a million times a day already. She could tell how careful and gentle Magda was acting right now, almost as she was afraid to say or do anything wrong that would scare the Dane. _

_”Good…”the Swede said, her voice soft. ”Just wanted to make sure…” she added before she took the courage to lean forward again, a little closer this time. _

_”Mm-Mm…” Pernille nodded, biting her lower lip in what felt like a mix of anticipation and insecurity. _

_Unconsciously, she must have moved because suddenly their lips, were dangerously close to each other. Their eyes locked, the Dane exhaled when she noticed the expression in the Swede’s eyes, almost begging her for permission to go ahead. Afterwards Pernille didn’t know, which one of them who had made the final move, and frankly she didn’t care either, but suddenly Magda’s soft lips finally reached their destination. The Dane’s mental picture and imagination about how it would feel like to kiss another girl was completely ruined, scattered in to small pieces when she heard Magda sighing with delight in to the kiss. It felt so natural, yet already familiar, that it caught Pernille by complete surprise. The Dane mirrored the Swede’s sigh the moment after and took the initiative herself to deepen the kiss a little. Magda had kept the kiss light as a feather, still afraid that Pernille would be uncomfortable. She could tell that Magda also seemed to be slightly surprised when the Dane parted her lips and with a gentle tip of a soft tongue, she begged for more access. Hands cupping faces, wrapping in to hair, breaths getting heavier. _

_”Oh God…” Magda breathed a few seconds after the kiss had ended due to the sudden lack of air. _

_Afterwards, they just stood, trying to recover, resting their foreheads against each other. The Dane had to grip Magda’s shoulder with one hand and the kitchen counter with the other in order not to lose her balance. Her legs felt like jello. _

_”That…” Pernille started, her breathing still uneven. ”That was amazing…you’re amazing…”_

_”Y-you too” Magda managed to get out, her voice cracking. _

_They took their time to drown in to each other’s eyes for a couple of minutes, still holding on to one another over the counter. _

_”You’re still shaking…”_

”What’s wrong?” 

Pernille almost jumped in her seat when she heard Magda’s question. The Swede must have woken up without her noticing. 

”Nothing…” the Dane assured, her voice low. She squeezed her girlfriend’s hand tenderly. ”I thought you were sleeping.”

”You look troubled…” Magda frowned as she sat straight up to stretch her back slightly, before cuddling back in to Pernille’s shoulder again. 

”I’m fine, I promise” the Dane responded with a smile. ”I was just thinking…”

”Of what?” the Swede wanted to know. 

Pernille threw her girlfriend an amused look. 

”Well if you must know…I was thinking about when we kissed for the first time…”

”You did?” Magda’s voice got soft as she relaxed visibly to the Dane’s confession.

She had been worried when she had woke up only to see her girlfriend’s troubled face. 

”I did” Pernille nodded. ”I don’t know…I just became sentimental all of a sudden thinking about everything that we have experienced these years…and then about the possibility of us winning the league today…I got a bit overwhelmed. That’s all.”

”Are you nervous?” the Swede asked gently. ”About the game I mean”

”No” Pernille shook her head. ”I don’t get nervous” she added, raising her eyebrows toward her girlfriend. ”You know that.”

Magda laughed softly. She did know that. It was one side of her girlfriend that she both envied and admired. 

”Are you nervous?” the Dane looked curiously back at the Swede. 

”A little” Magda admitted, looking shyly at Pernille who reached out to caress her cheek. The Swede leaned in to the touch and closed her eyes. 

”What was it you told me last night?” Pernille whispered. ”We’ll be fine. We’ll be just…fine.”

________________________________________________________________________

The southern parts of Sweden didn’t offer any kind weather. It was raining and the winds were cold as ice, heavy fog covered the pitch, Pernille felt cold. It took her longer than usual to get warm during their warm up-session. The Dane didn’t feel like herself at all. Her mind didn’t seem to want to collaborate with her at all today. She usually loved to play games. Especially games that really mattered. But today she just felt..off. It reflected well on the game when she in match minute 37’ got her first yellow card in years when she put a little too much effort in to a combat with one of Vittsjos midfielders who was bugging the hell out of her by stealing the ball quite easily from her. That caused the Dane to chase after her, taking her down with bad timing, before she reached the ball. The midfielder groaned loudly, rolling around in the grass in obvious pain. 

”What is wrong with you?” Magda hissed, looking all confused at her girlfriend as she took on her role as their captain to calm the Dane down. ”We can’t afford you to be sent-off with a red card. Get a grip!”

”Sorry…” Pernille grunted as she turned to walk back to the midfielder to say she was sorry and that she didn’t intended to be so rough in her action. 

She tried to shake that weird feeling off. When she got a perfect pass from Fridolina, giving her a chance to set off in a good run through Vittsjos midfield, she felt a little better. She ended up in the left corner down by the flag with one of their defenders coming right after her. Pernille Harder made one of her significant moves with a quick turn, challenged the defender only to fool her quite easily before she passed the ball in to the box in a perfect bow. Kristine Minde showed up, just in time to give the ball a nice header straight in to net. 1-0 Linkoping. They celebrated together in their usual huddle.

”You feel better now?” Magda asked as they were jogging down the pitch to reposition after the goal. 

”I’m sorry…” the Dane looked guilty. ”I don’t know what happened before…”

”Just don’t do it again…” Magda turned and winked before she retook her position down in the backline again. 

Pernille felt much better when her girlfriend fired off one of her charmingly dimpled smiles only meant for her. In the second half the Dane served Stina a perfect assist, which got the striker totally clear inside the penalty area so she easily could shoot the ball in to the goal. When the referee blew her whistle Pernille got down to the ground, laid herself down on her back in the grass and breathed in and out a few times to relax further. They all celebrated their win, although they held back a little. Inside the locker room they followed the game between Eskilstuna and Rosengard with a lot of tension. 

”Are you sure you’re OK? Y-y-you make me worried.”

She could hear the obvious concern in Magda’s voice. They hadn’t got the chance to talk properly after the game, since they had been attacked by reporters, teammates and the coaching staff afterwards. It was 15 minutes left of the game, showing on the screen and Magda had forced her way through the crowded locker room in order to get a chance to talk with her girlfriend. 

Pernille lifted her head and offered the Swede a small smile, reaching out to Magda, grabbing her hand, leading her around a corner so they could get some sort of privacy. 

”I’m fine” she whispered reassuringly, leaning in for a hug. ”I promise. I just have a feeling inside, some sort of mix between sentimentality and extreme happiness. And by the look on your face I can see that you think I suck at explain my feelings right now…”

Magda giggled softly while she tightened their hug, burying her face in to the crook of the Dane’s neck. 

”I get it” she mumbled. ”Is it weird that I think I understand what you mean even if you really do suck at explain?”

”You know…the happy feeling is mostly because of you” Pernille whispered in to her ear. ”Two of my greatest dreams can come true today” she leaned back to lock their eyes together. ”Winning the league and winning it with _you_.”

Magda didn’t answer verbally. Instead she took a gentle hold of the Dane’s chin, forcing their lips together softly. They were interrupted and parted quickly when the locker room totally exploded in happy screams and shouts. Rosengard had failed their mission to get a win from Eskilstuna. The game’s end standing was written to 1-2. Linkoping had done it. They were number one. After 4,5 years of hard work together they’d finally made it! Magda and Pernille mixed themselves together with their teammates, the Dane hugged Stina Blackstenius tightly when the champagne was sprayed over them. 

”Congrats partner!” Pernille smiled. ”You did great!”

”_You _did great!” Stina shot back. ”I will never forget this. I can’t believe we’ve won!” 

They were interrupted when Fridolina threw herself at them and they gathered in a group hug, smiling and laughing together. Pernille’s eyes searched the locker room and finally they reached their obvious object across the room where Magda celebrated with Jessica, Janni and Jonna. The feelings that crashed through the Dane’s body when their eyes met and the Swede blew her a kiss could only be described as a cocktail of firework mixed with pure love and happiness. The moment disappeared when the reporters were lining up to get a word from the Danish superstar. The questions, except that they wanted to know how it felt to finally win the Swedish League, were all about her future. Where in the world was Pernille Harder going to play football next?


	19. We're amazing

Pernille Harder was tired. No, exhausted was more the word to describe it. And when she was in the middle of what she supposed was maybe her tenth interview after Linkoping had been recognized as Swedish Champions of the year 2016 she had a hard time to focus on the reporter’s questions. On top of that she could feel her phone buzzing and vibrating like crazy in her pocket the whole time. She acted like a robot and tried to put on her regular charm and show for this Danish reporter who had traveled from her home country to participate and in order to get an interview with the Danish superstar in case of them winning. Pernille was the only one left in, what they had built up too call a mixed zone outside the locker rooms in Vittsjo that still offered them really bad and cold Swedish autumn weather. All she really wanted was to be with her girlfriend in this very moment. She really didn’t care about anything else. Martin and the coaching staff had decided in the last minute, that they were going to stay in a hotel nearby instead of going back to Linkoping. The other ones had already left but Martin himself had stayed, to wait for her and to drive her back to the team later. 

”So, the final question, and I guess this one is a bit loaded” the reporter said, somewhat hesitant. 

”Not loaded anymore since you’re not clearly the first to ask it” Pernille replied quickly while firing off one last smile. ”And to answer it, the answer is no. I can’t tell you where I’m going to play next season yet. It could be in Linkoping. I haven’t decided yet. And until I sign a contract I won’t be able to tell. But what I do know is that I still have two games left to play with Linkoping and that my contract with them for now is still on.”

The reporter opened his mouth to ask one more question but the Dane cut him off, even if it was gently and polite. 

”Thanks for your questions, now I’m going to go celebrate this win with my teammates.”

She turned to walk to meet up her coach, exhaling in relief. ”Finally” she thought to herself. 

”You done?” Martin asked gently, getting up from the bench he was sitting on, putting his phone in his pocket. 

”Yes, thank God for that.” she mumbled. ”Can we just leave now?”

Her coach smiled and laughed warmly at his star player’s sincerity. 

”This is something you will have to get used to. Big clubs out there will even have staff to train you for situations like these. Even though I think you already is a natural talent.”

”The season isn’t over yet Martin” Pernille pointed out firmly while they got in the car. 

”You can’t fool me Harder” he said and shot her a look. ”And as much as I would like to keep you in Linkoping…I’m not sure if I would do the right thing if I tried. You’re meant to play football. And you’re ready to show the world how good you really are.”

The Dane lifted her head and turned to face Martin while he started the car and put the first gear in. 

”Thanks for everything Martin.” she said, her voice a bit shaky as she felt herself being emotionally affected by his words. ”If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here today.”

”You don’t have to butter me up” he joked. ”You and Magda can share a room tonight. Beside, we have already won the league.”

The Dane couldn’t help but laugh. She really liked Martin Sjogren. He was the reason she had ended up in Linkoping from the very beginning. And she was truly grateful for that. Seen from several perspectives. For starters he was the first coach that had truly seen her best qualities as a player and really had focused on developing her playing skills as well as he had focused on helping her becoming a better person in the field. He had never stopped her from being a little selfish with the ball, but he had taught her when the timing to be a little selfish was right. Most coaches from her earlier days had wanted to tone down that side of her, with firm arguments that football was a team sport, not a one man show. Martin had never done that. He had just helped her when to use it. And she was convinced of the fact that he was the biggest part of her success since she moved to Sweden. She felt her phone buzzed again and was reminded of the supposed missed messages and calls the display would show when she dug it out of her pocket to check it. 

She wasn’t wrong, but the only ID on the display she could pay attention to was the name on the top of the list with all unread messages. Magda. 

_I love you. _

_And I love you. _

A wide smile formed in the corners of her mouth as the instant reply came when her phone buzzed once again. 

_Are you on your way?_

_Yes._

Several red hearts showed on the display as one last answer and she couldn’t help but send one of those cheesy hearty smileys back. Soon all of the unanswered calls and messages were forgotten. She just longed to be in her girlfriend’s arms and to feel the safeness from being close to the person she treasured the most in life. The strange feeling she had carried with her most of the day returned. She couldn’t figure it out. Was it sadness? Melancholy? Sentimentality? Everything suddenly felt so…real. It started to creep up on her. In to her mind. Up until now she had been the one who had comforted Magda all through the process of her taking the next step in her carrier. She felt like she had no right to be sad about the fact that they were soon going to part with several kilometers of distance. It was her choice to do so. How could she ever whine and cry about that? She had no right. It was Magda who was being the one to be left alone in Linkoping. By her. 

Ten minutes later Martin stopped the car outside the hotel, telling her that they had ordered dinner for all them to eat and then they were free for the rest of the night. She thanked him warm heartedly for everything one more time, before she almost ran in to the hotel to catch up with Magda. The Swede’s face lit up with pure and genuine joy at the sight of a confused Pernille Harder that stood in the hotel lobby, quickly searching around the hotel’s restaurant to find her girlfriend that was surrounded by the rest of their teammates. Magda jumped down from the bar stool she was sitting on and approached the Dane with open arms, neither of them saying a word. Embracing each other warmly and tenderly, they buried their faces in to each other shoulders. Pernille cherished the moment like she had never cherished Magda’s closeness before. Tightening her arms harder around the Swede with every second, breathing in her sweet, sweet scent. In the end she made sure she could feel every inch of Magda’s body against her own. Warm and safe. And there it was again, the feelings crashed through her body, she had to close her eyes hard to prevent the tears that threatened to fill the corners of her eyes. 

”What’s wrong?” Magda frowned and tensed clearly feeling something was up due to the fact that the Dane seemed to hold on to her for dear life. ”You are scaring me.”

”There’s nothing…wrong” Pernille whispered in to the Swede’s shoulder. ”Nothing can be wrong when I have you this close…” The Dane swallowed the tears and sighed heavily before she leaned back to meet Magda’s deeply concerned gaze. 

”But there is…” Magda responded softly. ”Something is wrong…and I need you to tell me.”

Pernille smiled tiredly back at the Swede and lifted one of her hands to cup Magda’s face tenderly. Her thumb gently circled the area where the Swede’s dimple always showed when she smiled. 

”We’ll talk later. I promise.”

Magda seemed to be fine with that and they hugged again, relaxing against each other. 

”Look at them” Fridolina poked Stina’s arm for attention while nodding toward the couple in the hotel lobby, who still was hugging each other dearly. ”They’re so in love.”

”They truly are” Stina sighed, leaning her head against Fridolina’s shoulder. ”But you have to admit, they are a perfect match.”

”I’ve known Magda since we were 15 years old.” Fridolina started. ”I’ve never seen her so in love before. She had a really hard time to admit that she actually had feelings for Pernille when I first asked her about it.”

”It’s like a movie you know” Stina smiled. ”I mean, gay girl meets straight girl. Gay girl falls in love with straight girl and the straight girl suddenly isn’t so straight anymore. They are really role models for every one of us. Love really is love.”

Fridolina laughed and leaned her head back to rest on Stina’s shoulder. 

”You are definitely right about that. We have a lot to learn from Hardersson.”

________________________________________________________________________

”You tired?”

”Never been so tired in my life…” the Dane mumbled sleepily laying on her stomach with her face buried in to the pillow. 

Magda just came out from the bathroom after finishing brushing her teeth. Only to find her exhausted girlfriend in bed groaning in to the pillow. They had withdrawn from the rest of the team after dinner and where now alone in their room. Clearly both very tired and exhausted after this days events. 

”And I can’t stand to even look at my phone with all the messages and calls I should be answering” the Dane grunted in dissatisfaction and threw the iPhone back to the night stand. 

”Then don’t” Magda said gently, carefully approaching the bed while getting undressed and ready to join her girlfriend under the bed’s cover when she suddenly got an idea. 

The Swede pulled the cover off from the Dane, only to quickly straddle her from behind putting her palms on her girlfriend’s shoulder blades. 

”Hey…” she murmured, leaning in to place a soft kiss right where her hands were. ”You want a massage?”

”From you?” Pernille lifted her head and turned around slightly with raised eyebrows. 

”No, I just called our physiotherapist to come up here” Magda joked. ”Of course from me you idiot!” 

The Dane’s smile got wider, a little hint of mischief showing in it when the Swede settled in to straddle her lower back properly. 

”Now, relax…” Magda ordered and reached for the small over-night bag she kept by the bed and took out a small bottle with massage-lotion. 

”Since when do you go around carrying massage-lotion in your luggage?” Pernille asked in misbelief. 

”Well, aren’t you glad that I still can surprise you after two years?” the Swede asked flirtatiously, pressing herself down against the Dane’s body to tease her a little, while she prepared to get to work as she squeezed the bottle to get out a small click of lotion and rubbed it in between her palms before she put her hands on her girlfriend’s back. 

Magda was rewarded with a loud groan full of pleasure when her hands started to work with the Dane’s stiff muscles. 

”Good?” she whispered and leaned down to gently nibble Pernille’s earlobe. 

”Mmm-mmm” the Dane sighed out her well-being at the moment and got up to lean her chin in to her hands.

The feeling of Magda’s hands on her bare skin caused a familiar sensation inside of her and she let herself to give in completely to her girlfriend’s strong and powerful massaging skills.

”Oh God you are good at this!” she let out somewhat breathlessly when the Swede’s hands shifted in to another place on her back to get the sore muscles to soften from their stiff condition. 

”Glad I can help…” Magda mumbled, focusing on her mission to help her girlfriend relax further. 

”You always do…” the Dane murmured letting her head sink down again in to the pillow again while she slung one arm around to gently stroke one of Magda’s bare thighs in a silent ’thank you’. 

Feeling the Swede’s soft skin under her finger tips got her mind to wander again. What was wrong with her? She frowned and shook her head slightly as if she wanted to clear her mind and chase those feelings away. The Dane continued to let her fingers explore Magda’s thigh in order to get her act together, desperate to not let her strangeness ruin this moment of closeness between them. She really wanted to talk with Magda and pour her heart out but not now…not right now. The Dane could feel Magda shift her bodyweight slightly as a result of her touches and the strength in the Swede’s massage movements had eased a little. She could definitely tell that the Swede was…distracted. Pernille acted fast and turned around. 

”Hi…” she whispered huskily, putting her palms just above Magda’s knees, savoring the sensational feeling that immediately invaded her senses. 

”W-weren’t….you…tired?” the Swede had closed her eyes, her head tilted slightly, and she moved her hands to cover the Dane’s on her thighs, lacing their fingers securely together before she forced their intertwined hands up to situate on her hips. 

”Not anymore..” Pernille shook her head and studied Magda’s body carefully with intensive glances. The Dane looked very alert and focused. ”Do you want to sleep?”

”No….no” Magda assured, biting her lip when the Dane’s hands started to travel around a bit only to firm their grip just above her waist. 

Pernille’s facial expression turned serious and she fixed her eyes on to her own moving hands which in the moment explored Magda’s sculpted stomach. She sighed out of comfort letting her hand run gently up and down the Swede’s toned six-pack. She could hear Magda inhale sharply, holding her breath a few seconds as a result of her action. The Dane suddenly got up to adjust herself in a more upright sitting position, causing their faces to end up just inches apart. The Swede opened her eyes along with an exhale, letting the air out. 

”You are so pretty” Pernille spoke softly leaning forward to place a kiss in the corner of Magda’s mouth followed by one of her hands framing the Swede’s face. ”I love you so much…”

The Swede, who had closed her eyes to the kiss, opened them slowly, fixated her gaze in to Pernille’s deep blue eyes. Magda caught herself thinking that she was almost sure that the Dane never had stared her down like she did right now. It overwhelmed her a bit. Pernille’s eyes showed nothing but love but also, they reflected a ton of different emotions clearly. 

”What is wrong?” Magda asked for the second time this evening, her voice worried accompanied with a sudden frown. ”Tell me…” she added with a whisper framing Pernille’s face with both her hands. ”Something is bothering you…I’ve seen it in your face all day…”

The Dane should’ve known that she couldn’t fool Magda in to think that something wasn’t wrong. She sighed, letting her shoulders drop. 

”Am I doing the right thing?”

”W-what do you mean?” the Swede’s face scrunched up in confusion. 

Pernille pulled the bed’s cover up around them, leaning forward to rest her cheek against Magda’s collarbone before she answered. The Swede fingered the the small strings of Pernille’s blonde hair in the back of her neck soothingly and the Dane felt enough comfort by the Swede’s touches to go ahead with the explanation to her own question. 

”I’m scared I’m doing the wrong thing” she confessed. ”By leaving you I mean…”

The Dane felt Magda tensed upon hearing her confession and she waited patiently for the Swede to respond. Seconds passed and still no answer…When Pernille started to feel somewhat nervous Magda finally broke the silence. Thank God! 

”You’re not leaving me…” 

It was barely a whisper but to the Dane it was still loud and clear. 

”A-and…you’re not doing the wrong thing. The wrong thing would be if you stayed…”

Pernille leaned back ever so slightly and their eyes met. Magda’s eyes. So sincere. So honest. Even though the Dane knew it must have been the hardest answer ever coming from her girlfriend.

”You’re _not _doing the wrong thing” Magda repeated. ”We’re not…” she paused for a moment. ”We’re not doing the wrong thing…”

A statement. As if she wanted to convince both herself and Pernille.

”We’re doing the right thing. And we are going to be fine.”

The Dane glanced at Magda. For the first time these past months she finally recognized the Swede again.There it was. The self-awareness and the self-confidence, which had lead them to this point. Magda, the one who always was wise, certain and at the same time very logic. The one who acted natural and reasonably. Well at least when she didn’t lose a football game or something like that…

Pernille felt a big rush of emotions crash through her body. It was breathtaking. She loved Magda beyond what she thought was even possible.

”You truly are amazing…you know that don’t you?” the Dane said softly, leaning in for a kiss which in itself reinforced what she wanted Magda to really understand.

The Swede sighed in to the kiss, letting her hands wander up Pernille’s arms and lock around the Dane’s neck. She broke the kiss for a short moment to make the first and the most natural statement that came to her mind.

”We’re amazing…”

”Yes…yes, we are.” Pernille reached out to release Magda’s body from the bed’s cover, exposing that soft, bare skin once again. ”Now…we can’t just waste an opportunity like this can we?” she continued a playful twinkle showed clearly in her eyes. ”Sharing a hotel room and all…”

Magda raised her eyebrows faintly, well aware of what her girlfriend insinuated with her words. She felt her body engine start and speed up immediately in anticipation of what was about to happen. Her impatience got to her straight away and she took the matter in to her own hands when she shoved the bed's cover completely out of way to destroy the last barrier for their bodies to re-connect fully. and they lost themselves once again in their little cocoon of love…


	20. We are forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...with this social distancing-thing. Let's finish this...

Waking up together. That was, without a doubt, the thing Pernille Harder would miss the most.And of course, the vision of Magdalena Eriksson sleeping right next to her. For a few minutes Pernille let herself just admire her girlfriend. Magda slept soundly, turned so she was facing the Dane. The Swede’s lips were slightly parted and her breathing steady and calm. Pernille reached out to free Magda’s face from a couple of hair locks carefully not to wake her. She smiled to herself when Magda stirred in her sleep, narrowing her eyes when the Dane tucked the hair gently behind her ear. 

It was a strange feeling. Yesterday had been a dream come true in so many ways. They had won the Swedish League. Together. Pernille turned to face her sleeping girlfriend fully all the while she let her mind wander. She loved Magda. And she loved playing football. The more she had come to think about those things she had decided that it was a pretty easy thing to deal with. It had to be. Magda was hers and hers only. Nothing could ever change that. Not even an upcoming move to Germany. She started to feel comfortable with that thought. 

”Mmm…” Magda hummed in her sleep which got the Dane to turn her attention back to the Swede. 

Watching Magda sleep peacefully she let herself think about how her life had changed with her move to Sweden almost 4,5 years ago. A smile broke across her face when Magda narrowed her eyes again and pulled the bed’s cover up to her chin before scooted herself closer to the Dane unconsciously in her sleep. Pernille used her index finger to trail an invisible pattern with gentle strokes around the Swede’s cheek, still careful not to wake her. Magda somehow nestled herself even closer, still sleeping and the Dane willingly let her. 

Looking down at Magda she let herself take a moment to think back on the years she upon til now had had in Sweden. Naturally most of her memories involved her girlfriend. From their first interactions, the close friendship they had developed, to the first tingling feelings of butterflies Magda had caused her til the realisation had hit her that she probably felt that it was more than friendship between them. From their first kiss in Magda’s kitchen to the moment where they had told each other the magic three words. Pernille felt her heart flutter when she thought back to that night when she had found the courage to express her love for Magda by telling her that she loved the Swede. Thinking back on it, one could’ve easily argumented to the fact that their relationship had developed very fast in to something really serious. Of course they had talked about that, they had reflected on that development together but they had never let what other people thought about their relationship get to them. But that night, when she had said ”I love you” for the first time, was something she would never forget. They had been hanging out with the team that day, all day. It was a warm and sunny day, in the beginning of June and they had been to a lake, sunbathing and barbecuing….

_Studying Magda from a distance the Dane let herself admire her girlfriend where the Swede interacted with the some of their teammates. They hadn’t had much time to talk just the two of them this day, since this was an arranged official team day before they would have some time off. In a couple of days they were going to Barcelona, their first vacation together as a couple. Pernille couldn’t wait to be alone with Magda, just the two of them. Completely alone. Seeing her girlfriend laugh across the beach where the Swede had started to put on her clothes after spending the whole day in a bikini got Pernille to long for Magda’s proximity after being apart from several hours. Or so it felt like. As if Magda could feel the Dane’s eyes on her she lifted her head and caught Pernille staring at her. The Swede fired off one of her dimpled smiles instantly and hurried to put her green top on along with her black dress shorts before it looked like she told her goodbyes to the teammates she had been hanging out with. _

_”Hi…” Magda said softly when she was close enough to her Danish girlfriend. _

_”Hi…” Pernille was sure of the fact that even though she tried her best, she couldn’t hide the wide smile that always appeared in her face when a certain Swede was nearby. _

_”You want to get out of here?” Magda took one more step closer like she was unsure of what was appropriate to do even though most of the people around them didn’t seem to care at all about what they did do or didn’t do. _

_They were still new. Even though every single one of their teammates knew about them, they were consistent in their behavior with everything regarding football. At that included being professional and adult and not be all over each other all the time. _

_”Yes…” the Dane bit her lower lip and decided that enough was enough. ”I really, really…do want to get out of here” she added with a small smile and reached out ot grab a soft hold of Magda’s wrist, instantly starting to play discretely with the Swede’s fingertips. _

_”I’ve missed you…” Magda looked down at their joined hands before lifting her head up again to face the Dane who eyed her intently and scanned her face closely. _

_”OK, let’s get out of here!” Pernille let Magda’s hand go and the Swede couldn’t suppress the soft giggle that slipped through her teeth at the Dane’s eagerness. _

_They quickly gathered their things and waved their hasty goodbyes to everyone before they started to retreat from the beach area. They had arrived separately, because Pernille had been at the arena in the morning for a private meeting with Martin discussing the possibilities to renew her contract with Linköping for another two years. _

_”So…your place or my place?” Magda’s voice had a hint of flirtation in it when they reached their bikes. _

_Before Pernille answered she took a quick look around them, realizing that they were completely alone she fisted a small part of the Swede’s green top and pulled her close, tilting her head just enough to press her lips firmly against Magda’s. _

_”Ohh….” the Swede moaned softly when their lips met and she anchored her arms around the Dane’s waist, pulling her closer. _

_”I-ts closer to my place…” Pernille breathed when they had to break the kiss to get some well-needed air, still with her fingers tangled in Magda’s hair. _

_The Swede’s eyes had turned significantly darker and the grip on the Dane’s hips told Pernille that she wasn’t quite done yet. Magda leaned in to kiss her cheek, but only to continue to pop small but hot open-mouth kisses along her jaw down her neck. _

_”R-remind me again why we haven’t done this earlier?” the Swede mumbled in to the Dane’s neck. ”I so want to be alone with you…”_

_”Because we are stupid?” Pernille suggested feeling her body react instantly as a result of Magda’s current doings. _

_”W-we need to get out of here…like right now” the Swede breathed while nibbling Pernille’s cheekbone. _

_They reluctantly let go of each other and jumped on their bikes. Ten minutes later Pernille put the key in to the lock of her apartment’s door and when it slammed shut behind them Magda didn’t waste any time…_

_Afterwards Pernille found herself being completely wrapped up in Magda’s arms and they settled in to a comfortable silence. The Dane rested her head against the Swede’s shoulder and felt herself shiver when Magda’s fingertips danced around on her upper arm with featherlight touches. _

_”Are you cold?” Magda lifted her head and tilted her head down to look at her girlfriend. _

_”N-no…” the Dane tightened her arm around Magda’s torso, pressing herself closer while sighing out in comfort. _

_”Good” Magda whispered in to her hair before she settled back on the pillow again followed by the comfortable silence again. _

_They cuddled closely using the same pillow, kissing softly once in a while, tangling and untangling hands and fingers exchanging wide smiles all through it. _

_”Have I ever told you how much I like hanging out with you?” Magda whispered and let her thumb brush tenderly over the Dane’s lower lip. _

_Pernille stayed quiet for a while, eyeing the Swede intently. _

_”W-why are you looking at me like that?” Magda’s cheeks turned rosy and she blushed slightly as a result of the Dane’s heavy stare. _

_”I love you…”_

_It turned deadly silent. Magda’s eyes had widened and she held her breath, almost like she couldn’t believe what the Dane just had told her. _

_”W-what did you just say?” _

_”I said…that I love you.” _

_”Y-you do?” Magda looked like she still couldn’t believe what she just had been told. _

_”I do…” Pernille smiled widely and reached out to cup the Swede’s face tenderly. _

_”I love you too…” Magda put her hand over the Dane’s on her cheek. ”So much…” she added smiling widely. _

_Pernille didn’t get the chance to reply because Magda got up and hovered above her before she dove down and kissed the Dane with frenzy, putting all effort in to the kiss to prove that the earlier statement coming from them both was the absolute truth. The Dane sighed in to the kiss and if she hadn’t been sure before she certainly was now. Their trip to Barcelona was gonna be awesome…_

”You are thinking so loud I can’t sleep.”

Pernille jerked in surprise and turned her head only to see her girlfriend watching her with an amused look written all over her face. 

”Hey…you’re awake..” the Dane leaned over to place a chaste kiss on the Swede’s lips. 

”Is everything OK?” Magda looked at her suspiciously, tilting her face upwards to study her girlfriend more closely. 

”Im fine.” Pernille opened her arms for Magda to crawl in to and the Swede cuddled in to her embrace, instantly relaxing when she decided to trust her girlfriend’s words. ”Did you sleep well?”

”Better than in a long time….you?” Magda pressed a soft kiss on the Dane’s shoulder before she leaned back down to settle against Pernille’s chest again. 

”Mmm…” the Dane nodded her response. 

”Tell me what you are thinking…” Magda whispered softly, lacing her fingers together with her girlfriend’s. 

”Im thinking that I love you…very much.” Pernille’s voice was soft and along with her words she squeezed the Swede’s hand tenderly. 

Magda felt her heart flutter and once again she tilted her face up to look her girlfriend straight in the eyes. 

”I love you too…”

Pernille scooted her body down to put her head on the pillow, ending up just next to Magda, leaning in to kiss her again. This time she let the kiss linger for a bit before she settled back on the pillow again. It turned silent, but not in a bad way. They just enjoyed this moment by exchanging smiles and soft morning kisses in a comfortable silence. 

”You want me to go down and get us some coffee?” Pernille whispered, petting Magda’s hair tenderly. 

”No…” Magda bit her lower lip, pulling up the bed’s cover to her chin before she scooted closer. 

”No?”

”No..” 

Pernille raised her eyebrows questionably not sure she followed Magda’s lead. 

”If you leave this bed now…the moment is ruined.” Magda whispered, reaching out to frame the Dane’s face with her hand, featherlight fingertips tracing around in i small circles on Pernille’s cheek. ”And Im not ready for that…Im not ready for this day to start quite yet…”

A small smile started to play in the corners of the Dane’s mouth as she comprehended what the Swede just had said. Because just like that, Pernille understood completely what Magda just had explained to her. Being just the two of them, all alone, was the most precious thing in the world for the Dane. Sometimes, when life just went on and on, she forgot about that. 

Laying here, with her face just inches from Magda’s, she let herself drown in to the Swede’s beautiful eyes. 

”I can’t believe that you are mine…” she whispered with lips dangerously close to Magda’s. 

”Im yours…” the Swede stated softly, her hot breath hitting the Dane’s cheek causing Pernille to shift slightly in the bed. ”And you are mine…”

”And we are forever…” Pernille’s eyes locked with Magda’s, who inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. 

”W-we are?” the Swede’s voice cracked and she opened her eyes slowly. 

This wasn’t a proposal. This was a promise. A deal. Only for them to know. 

”We are.” the Dane’s voice was steady, her staring eyes burning in Magda’s face. ”We are…forever” she repeated before she turned over to end on top of her girlfriend, who spread her legs instinctively to give Pernille enough space to settle. 

Magda exhaled the air she apparently had been holding in, putting her arms around Pernille’s neck before she pulled the Dane in for a proper kiss. Both of them sighing out in delight and comfort when their lips crashed together. 

Both of them moaning softly at the familiar and well-known feeling of soft mouths and lips finding their sync with every second. Switching approaches and rhythm the kiss deepened quickly and when they broke it, to get some air, they offered each other wide smiles, telling each other without words what they wanted. 

”I love you so much…” Pernille whispered with her lips against Magda’s neck, feeling the Swede shiver as a result. 

”I love you too…”

The Dane felt every inch of her body relax, moulding perfectly together with the Swede’s, like the last piece of a puzzle, that they had tried desperately to put together for the last couple of months with everything that the future held for them. 

Pernille was just about to push the bed’s cover away, the only thing that separated them at the moment when a loud and determined knock on the hotel room door was heard. 

”You have got to be kidding me?” the Dane grunted in dissatisfaction and turned her head toward the door. ”What is it with us, hotel rooms and being interrupted?”

”Get up lovebirds!” they heard Frido’s voice behind the door. ”We have a big win to celebrate!”

”We’re coming, give us five minutes!” Magda shouted as an answer but couldn’t hold back the giggle that escaped her mouth when she saw the Dane scrunch her face before she grunted and sank down only to bury her face in to the crook of Magda’s neck. ”I’ll make it up to you later” the Swede smiled widely cupping Pernille’s face firmly between her hands to force their eyes together. ”I promise…” she added. 

”Fine” the Dane tried to keep her grumpy face but found it to be impossible when Magda got up, just enough to press her lips against her own. ”Mmm..you said five minutes…” she whispered playfully between soft kisses. ”A quickie?”

Magda bursted out in a loud laughter and Pernille followed, soon they laughed in unison, looking at each other. The Dane felt a warm, fuzzy feeling shooting through her body as they laughed together. Everything was going to be fine. Whatever happened, they were going to be fine. The comfort of that thought was soothing and she found herself, for the first time in months, to relax completely when they got out of bed to get dressed to join their teammates to celebrate the win of the Swedish League with a luxury hotel breakfast…


End file.
